The Dragon, the Lion and the Serpent
by hathor X
Summary: COMPLETE DracoHermione! During 7th year, Hermione's faith in Draco is relentless and he's out to destroy it! Who will save them from the darkness around when Harry is afraid? Dark fic! Please R
1. The Dragon

**Author's Notes: Hello! Well this is my first attempt in the Harry Potter world. ****This fic revolves around a Draco and Hermione love story but will also include Harry and Ron. **

**Summary: Draco is Voldemort's newest Death-Eater and it seems only a certain Gryffindor girl change save him from his dark destiny. ****Its set during the 7th year, takes place after OoTP and I'm warning readers now that my story is quite dark. **

**M rating due to sex, violence, language which come in later chapters!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belongs to J., anything you don't recognise belongs to me.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

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Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy family, was Voldemort's new hope. Ever since Draco's initiation among the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord kept a close watch on the young Malfoy, hoping to make him the most feared Death Eater ever.

Draco was even willing to go further and someday succeed to Voldemort's throne.

As he arrived at Hogsmeade he hid the Dark Mark under his clothes carefully. He had always despised the fact that he, a Pureblood, had been branded to serve the twisted dreams of a Half-blood. It had only been a couple of months now, and he hated it. He hated all the pathetic Death Eater meetings, where whole families of Muggles, Mudbloods or even Aurors were tortured, raped and eventually killed. He could not escape participating in these savage acts, as the Dark Lord had a watchful eye over him, but he loathed it.

However it did not mean that he pitied the victims; no, after all they were only filth, but Voldemort had also murdered traitorous Pureblood families, and that, Draco would not oblige to.

After the last meeting, which involved torturing a powerful witch into madness, Draco had sworn to himself that someday he would be his own master and would restore the pureblooded families' authority and power over the Mudbloods and Muggles.

The world would no longer fear the name of a Half-blood but learn to respect his: Draco Malfoy.

Walking down a back alley and spotting less and less students, Draco arrived at The Hog's Head. The few Hogwarts students who passed him by were too scared to look up at his face. They had reason to be scared of Slytherins since their return to school, especially of those suspected to have joined the the Dark Lord's ranks.

After a year of fear and waiting of an attack from Death Eaters, the moment finally came last summer as the students were leaving Hogwarts for their annual holiday. It was the perfect moment and Voldemort had patiently waited for it. At that precise moment, none of the teachers, not even Dumbledore, had been around and the students were at their most vulnerable as they waited by the Hogwarts Express, saying their goodbyes.

Many students had died instantly as Voldemort's followers struck them.

The Dark Lord had wanted the attack to be quick and violent and so it was exactly what had happened. Fellow Death Eaters had killed the most Mudbloods they could in a minimum period of time, before Aurors had apparated within the massacre. It had become a real carnage but most Death Eaters had managed to run away after the blood bath.

Cruciatus curses along with their counter curses had been called simultaneously, as well as the Death curse from all directions, and many students were caught in the cross fire. A lot of students had died that day and those who had helped and survived had been traumatised forever.

Harry Potter was one of them, along with his two friends Mudblood Granger and the Weasel. Since that day, after seeing so many of his friends die, Saint Potter had lost confidence in his magic and had once again become scared of Lord Voldemort.

Entering The Hog's Head cautiously, Draco looked out for any Ministry's agents, but instead noticed the pub hardly had any customers at all. As he passed through, several wizards and witches bowed their head discreetly at him but Draco ignored them and walked straight through to the back room.

The bartender had lent the Malfoy heir, in return of a favour, a room for the Slytherins to gather and enjoy themselves during weekends at Hogsmeade and sometimes even during school time. Draco had found it necessary to find a space, other than the common room, for his friends, where he could talk business without nosy first years or prefects.

In that room, he was in control.

His intention today was to start the mission Voldemort and his father had ordered to him the night before his return to Hogwarts.

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_(flashback)_

"Draco, come closer my boy," Voldemort hissed.

The blond-haired boy, who had looked away from the usual ceremonies, turned to face his master. Lord Voldemort had been whispering all night long with his father and Draco rightly guessed that the two men had planned yet another mission for him.

"Your father and I have a new mission for you Draco," Voldemort hissed once more, before pausing dramatically.

"Tell me, have you any knowledge of the Serpent books?" he asked, his beady red eyes lighting up with excitement. Draco hadn't seen the Dark Lord so enthusiastic about something since the attack last year.

"Only through rumours, my Lord. I was told that they are legendary books, which have been hidden by their author due to their incredible powers. Every wizard who hears about them wishes to possess them," Draco answered, intrigued by the question.

"Of course everybody wants the books, boy! They contain more power than _you_ could ever imagine!" Lucius shouted back at him.

Draco glared at his father angrily. He knew perfectly well that his father's outburst had brought the assembly to a halt and every head had turned in their direction.

"Our Lord requires these books Draco, and your mission is to find them and bring them back," his father continued.

Draco's quick thinking told him not to question the real reason behind Voldemort's interest in the Serpent volumes. His curiosity was satisfied for now.

"Power is given to whoever seeks it, Draco. One must only know where to look. And I know that these books are the key, the key to my victory over Dumbledore and his boy!" Voldemort's shrill resonated throughout the hall.

"I have already invited the owner of the books to the manor," his father continued, "And I shall expect the same sort of - seduction from you towards the heir of the Serpent family."

"I'm guessing the heir attends Hogwarts then."

"Exactly."

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Draco had spent his first week at Hogwarts mostly in the library, looking up information about the Serpent books, but had hardly found anything useful. He had only learnt that Albatorus and Alexia Serpent were among the first wizards ever known, and throughout time, their descendants had invented new spells, found new properties to herbs and plants and developed different sorts of potions.

The Serpents were known to be friends with many of the Ministers of Magic, but lately they were forced to exile abroad. No information about their present whereabouts or any of their first names was given.

Draco was confused by such secrecy around the family, and also suspected his father and Voldemort to be purposely hiding further information from him. In case he couldn't discover the heir by his own means, Draco was determined to search Filch's register of students or preferably ask Professor Snape, who might have some information on the subject.

After a week of research, he was ready to find this mysterious heir and put his plan in action.

Draco pulled away the drawn curtains, hiding the backroom door of The Hog's Head and entered. He quickly noticed the unusual excitement among his fellow Slytherins, and making his way towards the centre of the room, he saw her.

She was the thorn in his thigh, the bone stuck in his throat, the dirt under his shoes.

"_Granger!_"

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**Well I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be updating very soon. **

**Now that you've seen Draco, let's hear from Hermione! The next chapter is called The Lion. **

**Please tell me what you think! Review!**


	2. The Lion

**Thanks for the first review, hope you enjoy the rest.**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me but J.K. Rowling.**

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Chapter 2

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Hermione Granger, Head Girl at Hogwarts, was Dumbledore's only hope this year. She was even more persistent and enthusiastic to learn and practice magic since last year's attack and had not, like many other students, given up her courage or faith in Dumbledore.

Indeed, since Voldemort's attack, most Gryffindors and other students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff no longer believed that they were safe at Hogwarts, or that Dumbledore could stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, had once again sacked Dumbledore within the first hours following the attack, but he had soon realised that no other wizard stood a chance against Voldemort and so he was forced to reinstate Dumbledore as Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Though her faith in Dumbledore was unshakeable, Hermione felt herself crumble inside. The Death Eaters attack had broken both students and teachers' spirits. Among the survivors, some students had left Hogwarts too traumatised or scared to return again, whilst others came back filled with even more fear and nightmares than the previous year.

As for Harry, well, she didn't know what to do about him anymore. The Boy Who Lived would rather prefer to die nowadays than face his fears. Harry was already psychologically and physically frail after Sirius' death but, ever since the last attack, which caused the death of Seamus Finnigan, Colin Creevey and his brother, Cho Chang and also members of the Order, it was even worse.

Harry Potter had become a frightened little boy, who never spoke for himself anymore and dreaded his encounters with Dumbledore or anyone else who reminded him of his destiny. His friend Ron, on the contrary, had become bitter, desperate and violent ever since the death of his brother Charlie. The loss of a brother had torn Ron inside, along with the rest of the Weasley family.

The previous summer Hermione had been the first to witness and bear these changes amongst her two best friends, and now her only rest and peace was back home among the Muggle world, which still ignored the very existence of magic. However, Hermione had also spent her summer worrying about another student at Hogwarts. She had spent the previous year tutoring him in certain subjects on Snape's and Dumbledore's orders and unwillingly had become closer to him.

Draco Malfoy had accepted these lessons, however outrageous they were, not for his own good but because he thought he might be able to get his own back at Harry through Hermione. His father had ordered him to break up Dumbledore's Golden trio in any possible way and Draco had believed Hermione to be the easiest to manipulate and corrupt. However, he had underestimated her and after spending so much time together, he had finally let himself be influenced by her faith in him instead.

Hermione remembered painfully the last day she had seen him before the end of term and Voldemort's attack. She had begged him to come with her to see Dumbledore, who could save him from following his father's path. Her obstinate stance had caused him to tell her the real reason behind his interest in her, and why he had allowed her, a filthy little Mudblood, to even look at him.

His words had cut Hermione deep, and she had walked away from him before he could see her tears.

Now it had been a week since she was back at Hogwarts, and she preferred to ignore Draco rather than let her curiosity get her. He was Head Boy and like her, he had his own dorm but they shared a common room together. Not once did Hermione see him in the common room, nor did she ever hear him in his bedroom.

They both kept as far away from each other as they could, but today Hermione had had enough and was determined to talk to him. She was Head Girl after all and had the right to worry about her fellow classmate.

_You keep telling yourself that_, Hermione thought angrily to herself.

What she would tell him she had no idea, but she knew she had to see Draco. Her heart was desperate to see the Slytherin, who she had spent so much time with before, who she had learnt to respect over time and who, though she would never admit it, had got under her skin.

The only plan she had been able to think of was to hang around The Hog's Head, where she knew he would come.

Unfortunately for her, as she hung around the entrance to the pub, Draco was not the one she found.

"Well, well, well, some say the Gryffindors are brave but to come all the way over here; that's just plain stupid," a voice whispered in her ear.

Hermione whipped around to find Blaise Zabini accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Get her!" Zabini snarled.

Hermione hardly had time to pull out her wand before Crabbe caught her by the shoulders, whilst Goyle snatched her wand out of her hand. A devilish grin appeared on Zabini's face and Hermione realised she was in deep trouble. No one had known where she had gone and besides all her friends were too scared now to face Draco and his Slytherin friends. They pushed her into the pub and although Hermione hoped that someone might notice she was being restrained, the few customers present chose to ignore her instead.

"Like playing at being Malfoy do you, with these two baboons?" Hermione asked Blaise, as she was pushed harder into a backroom.

"Shut up, Mudblood!" he barked at her. His face had turned a different shade at her question, but he soon rejoiced when Goyle closed the door.

"So, you thought us Slytherins wouldn't notice your presence Granger?"

Both Crabbe and Goyle sniggered at his comment, whilst the others sitting around turned their heads to watch the scene. The room was bare except for tables, chairs and the dozen or so sixth and seventh year Slytherins who were present. Overall the light was quite dim and Hermione could not recognise most of the faces, especially those hiding in the corners of the room, but she could hear them.

"You know if Malfoy were here, I'm sure he'd agree with me that you deserve a punishment Granger. Something that will make your tiny pea brain think twice before ever assuming you are more cunning than any of us."

At Blaise's words, a general hum of agreement followed. Hermione became more and more nervous, twitching under Crabbe's grip, desperate to find an escape.

"Don't use Malfoy as an excuse for your twisted fantasies, Zabini!" she answered back.

"Don't ever say his name again! You aren't worthy enough Mudblood." Blaise's voice dropped to a menacing tone Hermione had never heard before. She gulped nervously, but it wasn't going to stop her now.

"Malfoy isn't such a sick fuck as -"

WHACK! Before she had finished, she felt a hand smash into her face. Blaise hit her hard and it took her several moments to recover. Her lip was cut and bleeding but she didn't care.

She was furious. How dare that idiot hit _her_, the Head Girl! But she soon realised that Blaise's face was fuming with the same intensity as hers. It angered her even more. She inhaled deeply, ready to spit out her own venom, when the back room door opened again and Draco Malfoy entered.

"Granger!" he snarled.

Blaise quickly spun around, while Crabbe loosened his tight grip on Hermione. She also looked up, as did most of the Slytherins around, to find the Malfoy heir looking at her intently from the door. He was standing quite majestically among the others, his white-blond hair forming a kind of halo above the black robes he wore. His hair framed perfectly his pale white skin thus making his appearance almost angelic.

But Hermione knew perfectly well that he was no angel and trouble had really started for her.

"Malfoy, look who we found," Blaise told him. "She was spying on us outside the Hog's Head. What do you want us to do with her? Surely she should be punished -"

"Everyone out! Now!" Draco exclaimed angrily. At his order everyone got up and left; the bows Draco received before his classamates left were not unnoticed by Hermione. She turned her gaze on Draco and watched as his eyes darkened with anger when he approached her and noticed her bruised cheek and cut lip. Furious, he grabbed Blaise by the collar.

"Don't you ever touch her again! Do you understand?"

Blaise hesitated but as Draco tightened his grasp, Hermione saw him lower his eyes in fear, nod and leave.

Left alone with Draco, Hermione looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to defend her, but nonetheless, she was determined to give the ferret boy a piece of her mind. Draco, on the other hand, seemed to be using every ounce of energy to contain his wrath.

"Sit," he ordered and before Hermione could protest, he took out his wand.

"_Accio_ chair!"

A nearby chair came zooming behind her and forced her to sit.

"I thought I'd made myself quite clear that I had nothing left to say to you," he hissed, holding up her bruised face and examining it. In his other hand, he held Hermione's wand that Goyle had given to him before walking out.

"I needed to see you," Hermione replied.

"And why is that?" Draco answered looking down at her.

She paused.

"Tell me," he barked at her.

"Because - because I needed to know if the rumours were true."

Draco's face fell. He looked utterly confused and not expecting her confession.

"Becoming a Death Eater will destroy you and you know it. I believed in you last year and I still do. You can't do this Malfoy, you're better than this if only you'd let me help you." Hermione felt her face flush after she fell silent and impatiently waited for Draco to be angry with her, to hate her even more, but, beyond all expectations, he started to laugh.

"My poor naive Granger. Did you ever stop one second to think that I might chose to follow this path?" As he spoke he revealed the black mark, which scarred his pale white skin.

"But -" Hermione started but felt herself being dragged from the chair as Draco grasped both her wrists and pulled her up.

"You're too late!" he shouted at her, as he gripped her arms and shook her vigorously.

"Of course I chose to be initiated! Of course I chose to follow Voldemort! What else was I to do? Drop my dignity and follow you and your precious Potter? Bow to your beloved Dumbledore? Tell me Granger, what exactly did you expect me to do?"

His voice rang in her ears as she restrained herself from crying. She tried to push him away from her, but she knew perfectly well it was useless. She had dreaded such a revelation and yet she had still risked hearing it. And now, all she wanted to do was run, but she couldn't, it was too late; she had to face it. She was confronted with the nightmare, which had tortured her emotionally all summer. How could he have done it?

"So that's it! You've become one of them? A Death Eater?" she spat out. "And I thought you only took orders from Purebloods!"

Her words hit Draco harder than she thought. She had touched a nerve and she knew it. She watched his eyes run through a mixture of emotions. His once mysterious soft grey eyes she had looked into last year intrigued, were now hard and darkened. They had given her the answer she had sought straight away. The initiation had hardened Draco's features and given him a darker composure. As the new Draco Malfoy, Voldemort's new Death Eater, stood before her, the resemblance with his father, Lucius, was striking.

She was sick with disgust, but Draco was not finished with her. His grip on her was still firm and Hermione knew that he was deciding what to do with her next. She dreaded the worst and could no longer restrain the tears pouring down her face. It was over; she had come too late.

However, against all hopes, the back room door opened and a sixth-year Slytherin, who Hermione recognised immediately, ran in, breathing heavily.

"Malfoy! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

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**Review thanks!**


	3. The Serpent

**Author's Notes: Hello and thanx for the reviews! I really need them as you guys can give me useful tips and ideas.**

**This chapter is different beause its a new character. Don't judge too quickly, this IS a Draco/Hermione fic. This chappie is a lot about the character's background which is important for the story. **

**So please tell me what you think and Enjoy! **

**_Hathor x_**

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Chapter 3

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Abigail Serpent was her father's last hope. A couple of years ago her mother had found out that she could no longer have any more children and so Abigail became the sole heir to the Serpent family. It was only then that her mother had suddenly decided to teach her daughter all the Serpent magical knowledge as rapidly as she could to make sure that it would never be forgotten.

Abigail discovered that same day that her family was in possession of twelve books, twelve volumes, that contained the only written evidence of all the Serpent spells and potions. Most books contained spells that were well-known among the wizarding world, some were even taught at Hogwarts, but certain books contained more than that. Albatorus and Alexia Serpent, the founders of the Serpent lineage, had started writing down their inventions and discoveries, passing on the books to their family, and each following generation would add his or her contribution.

Today the books were well-hidden within the family mansion. As their magical knowledge was so great and powerful, the books presented a danger to the wizarding world. Over time, the Serpent family had become suspicious and secretive, as many wizards and witches desired to possess these magical books and within the wrong hands, the family secrets could become dangerous weapons. In the end, due to reasons even Abigail did not know, the Serpent family was forced to take refuge abroad by the Ministry of Magic, although their daughter was given permission to remain at Hogwarts.

At the beginning of the summer, however, Abigail lost her mother to a Muggle mental hospital.

The cause of Selena Serpent's sudden madness was still unknown. The woman had disappeared one night only to reappear a couple of days later in England, raving mad. Because of the emergency of the affair and having no knowledge of the whereabouts of Selena's family, the Ministry had ordered the Serpents' closest family in England to deal with the situation.

Mrs. Granger, (Abigail didn't even know her first name), being the family's closest cousin, made the decision to place Selena in London's finest Muggle psychiatric hospital until she recovered. To Abigail's despair, the Grangers did not believe magic could cure her mother. How they could commit such a barbaric act, Abigail could not understand. Her father had spent the rest of the summer travelling back and forth to the Ministry to complain about the unfair decision, but the Ministry continued to refuse to let Selena out of the country.

Of course, their ultimate intention was to discover some of the witch's secrets, and Abigail and her father knew it. Abigail just could not accept the idea that her mother was condemned to never leave that Muggle prison because of a Muggle's ignorance and the Ministry's deceitfulness. This terrible event had caused her to change. She became stricter with herself, practicing her magic everyday, letting no physical or emotional stress disturb her until she was finished. And thus, she was gradually growing thin and fragile.

She also developed a pure hatred towards the Grangers, especially their daughter, Hermione, who was a year above her at Hogwarts.

This year, Abigail thought it was finally time for people to discover her real identity and so she had chosen to change her last name to Serpent, her mother's maiden name. Indeed, it was her mother that held the strongest of magical powers: her father had no more magic than any other wizard, and had married Selena Serpent for love without ever seeking to gain more power through the family books. He was a loving, caring father and Abigail always obeyed his will, for he always knew best.

Abigail had spent her first week at Hogwarts ignoring her classmates and keeping as much to herself as she could. The task was difficult, as she noticed several professors had started keeping an eye on her, probably on Dumbledore's orders. He was certainly concerned that she had changed her last name.

Hermione had dared to approach her a couple of times, mumbling that she was sorry about her parents and that she had tried everything she could to change their mind. Every time the other Slytherins had needed to restrain Abigail to prevent her from cursing the Gryffindor.

Being a Slytherin, it was easier to keep to herself as friendship and bonding was not encouraged within the house and her dark looks scared away anyone who even tried to approach her.

One Saturday morning, which also happened to be the first Hogsmeade trip, Abigail's snowy owl appeared at breakfast, to deliver a letter from her father. Anticipating news from him, she tore the envelope open only to find a short message.

_Dear Abigail,_

_I hope you are well and your first week at school is not too difficult. Do not keep so much anger against the Granger girl, she is not responsible for her parents' crime. I am leaving shortly for the Malfoy Manor; I am expected for dinner. Lucius assured me no Ministry officer will notice my presence in the country. He wishes to talk business and I have great pleasure in meeting with him. The Malfoys are powerful wizards and I expect them to become our allies. Try to socialise with their son, Draco. It would be a good thing to become his friend. He seems to be in the same house as you. Do you already know him? You shall hear from me soon._

_Love, your father._

Abigail felt as if her jaw was hanging off its hinges.

_Lucius Malfoy! He's staying with Lucius Malfoy! Voldemort's most trustworthy follower. He wants him to become our ally? What was that supposed to mean?_

Abigail had shivers running down her spine. And what was all this crap about her becoming friends with Draco? Surely her father knew how arrogant and foolish the Malfoy heir was at school?

She turned her head to face the white-blond hair boy, sitting further down the table drinking his coffee. She noticed he was alone, lost in his thoughts and seemed to have purposely sat away from the usual crowd which surrounded him. Looking at him closely, Abigail noticed that over the summer there had been a sudden change in the boy's physique.

He no longer looked like a boy.

His musculature had developed quite rapidly over the summer, his boyish face seemed to have given way to more manly features, but most importantly, his eyes no longer held any pride and contempt; only power and darkness. He had obviously matured quickly, although she did not know the cause of it, she could see that Malfoy was now more stunning than ever. Abigail had never contested his good looks, but being a Slytherin, she had learnt to see his horrible personality behind his angelic features.

The gorgeous Head Boy was no more than a bully to her, and she hated him for it.

Leaving her breakfast untouched, Abigail left the great hall, sensing a pair of sparkling blue eyes watching her walk out. Dumbledore was obviously keeping a very close eye on her. Wanting to escape the castle for a while, she decided to join the others on the trip to Hogsmeade.

As she reached the magical village, she ran into Ginny Weasley in front of The Three Broomsticks. The red-haired girl seemed quite upset.

"Abigail, thank Merlin I've found you! You've got to help me!" she cried out. "I've just overheard Pansy Parkinson in the street telling the other Slytherins not to enter the Hog's Head because Malfoy was there teaching a lesson to the Mudblood. She was talking about Hermione! Abby, please, we have to go help her or warn somebody! We have to do something!"

Ginny looked terrified and she had reasons to be. Only yesterday rumours were circling around Hogwarts about Malfoy having become a Death Eater.

_Granger is an idiot to go and challenge him._ But Abigail kept her mouth shut and decided that, despite what she thought of Granger, Ginny needed her help.

The youngest Weasley had helped her out before when she had most needed it and gradually they had become friends. Begrudgingly Abigail decided to help Ginny despite her hatred for Granger.

"Stay here," she told the Gryffindor and ran down several streets and alleys to finally reach the Hog's Head. Ginny didn't know about the backroom in the pub, and she didn't want her to know about it either. The room was for the Slytherin's private use, and even Snape probably didn't know about it.

Calling a teacher for help would only make matters worse: Abigail knew she couldn't count on them in this case and was pretty much by herself. As she reached the backroom door, she barged in and as she had assumed, she found Malfoy gripping on to Granger's arms menacingly. Her face was bruised, her eyes were sore red and her lips were bloodstained. Abigail noticed Granger flinch when she realised who had come to her rescue.

"Malfoy! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Abigail exclaimed, realising how serious the situation had become. "Merlin, why are you threatening the Head Girl? Dumbledore will have our necks for this if anything happens to her! And if the rest of the Golden Trio finds out, we're history!"

Abigail was furious with him, but also with Granger for being so stupid. How else did she think all this was going to end? Slytherins and Gryffindors just didn't get along, didn't she understand that?

Draco's entire body tensed as he turned to look at his intruder and tried to contain the immense rage overwhelming him, which seemed to pour out through his dark grey eyes. Abigail had expected his reaction to be bad, but this was much worse than she'd expected, and she began to shrink back a little. After all, even though they were in the same house, she was just another insignificant girl to him, but one who should never oppose him.

"It's Abigail, right?" he asked, very quietly. His voice chilled her to the bone, but she held her nerve, and her voice was still steady when she replied.

"Let her go."

"I asked you a question!" His voice caused her to freeze on the spot and her courage seemed to slip away with every second passing by. She had never seen the Slytherin Prince so angry before and it usually didn't bode well. No one talked back to Malfoy nowadays without facing dire consequences - no one.

"Yes, Abigail Serpent. Sixth year Slytherin. Now let her go!"

As she said her name, she noticed a change in Malfoy's attitude. He looked back at her in confusion for a fraction of a second, but his face quickly gave way to his trademark smirk.

"I was just about to let Granger go anyway," he explained, letting go of Granger's arm.

The Gryffindor looked at him incredulously as he gave her wand back and advised her to clean up her face before she left. She tried to thank Abigail but it was no use.

"Just leave!" Abigail snapped at her. Anger seethed through her sharp words and Granger hurriedly left the room. Abigail turned her back as well, but she abruptly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast, Miss Serpent," a cold voice hissed behind her. The scathing tone made her stop dead in her tracks. She could tell that Malfoy was going to make her pay for talking back at him and she didn't know what game Malfoy was playing at, but he was mistaken if he thought that he could harm her.

"What's the matter, Malfoy?" she spoke up, turning around slowly to face him. "Surprised that I interrupted your little session with Granger? As Head Boy, you should probably know better than using Death Eater methods on the Head Girl!"

Judging by the look on his face, Abigail suddenly knew that she had gone too far.

_Damn! Why didn't I keep my mouth shut? _

Malfoy looked positively dangerous, and in a flash she saw him grab his wand from inside his robes and pull it out at her.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

"_Protego Alexia!_" Abigail whispered a curse of her own, holding her wand.

To Malfoy's surprise, his spell bounced off an invisible shield and hit the wall behind him, sending rubble flying across the room. As Abigail watched the spell being deflected, guilt suddenly took over her. Why did she feel this way? The prick had tried to harm her after all. Had she done something wrong protecting herself from Malfoy?

But then she understood her guilt as nearly forgotten words came flowing back into her mind.

_Try to socialise with their son, Draco. It would be a good thing to become his friend._

She had disobeyed a direct order from her father. If he ever found out, he would be so disappointed in her. She looked back at Malfoy in a state of panic. He was watching her with mild curiosity now, having witnessed the magic she could do.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that," were Abigail's last words as she hurriedly walked out of the back room, closing the door behind her. She knew Malfoy and the Slytherins would make both her and Granger pay for this in the near future, but she didn't care, just so long as her father didn't find out.

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**So what did you think? Please review! Next chapter back to Draco's POV.**


	4. Planning

**Author's Notes: Hello! Thank you to my fellow reviewers. Its helps to know people appreciate my fanfic. This chapter should interest those who wish to see DH interaction...**

**Sorry about spelling mistakes, english isn't my first language, also writing mushiness and lime is not my strength so I hope u'll enjoy it anyway. Nuff said!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately Harry Potter does not belong to me but J K Rowling.**

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Chapter 4

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He was a Malfoy. He was destined to be the tyrant he had become. Nothing could stand against him or alter him. So why did he feel the need to keep telling himself this? And more importantly, why had Granger's words affected him? How could he lose his temper with the Serpent girl?

An obvious answer came to mind... No! He was not weak! That was only what his father wanted him to believe.

But he would not be like others who needed violence to be respected. No, people feared and respected Draco Malfoy because of his intelligence and cunning. It was that kind of power that he would need to use upon Granger and Serpent. He would break them to his will, shatter them to nothingness for his own entertainment and for revenge. Draco had always been one to hold a grudge.

Serpent would prove to be the easiest, she belonged to the same world as he did, and thus she was vulnerable to him. Besides, he remembered that she had dated Zabini last year and could therefore gain all the information he needed about her from his friend. Granger, on the other hand, was a Mudblood, a Gryffindor, but above all, she had successfully managed to mess with his mind last year - she had made him weak, and for that he would make her pay.

As Draco returned to Hogwarts castle he was eager to regain the privacy of his room in order to plan his revenge. However, it was already dinnertime and as he entered the Great Hall, he couldn't help but notice Granger's absence. His usual crowd of Slytherins called him over to their table. Pansy Parkinson had obviously kept him a seat next to her, whilst Zabini sat across from him. Malfoy watched as some Hufflepuffs took sudden interest in their food as he walked past them. It was obvious they didn't want to stir up any trouble with him and that they were scared of what he might do to them later, away from the teachers' stares, for his sheer pleasure, if he thought they had even looked at him the wrong way.

As he approached his reserved seat, Malfoy noticed the Serpent girl, further down the table, in deep conversation with her fellow sixth-years. She seemed to have completely forgotten the day's events with him.

He decided to remind her of them.

Draco swiftly crept up behind her and waited for her to notice him looming behind her. He could finally look at her more intently, now that he was seeing her in broad daylight, instead of the hazy dimness of the Hog's Head. The girl had the features of a Pureblood with her long, jet black curly hair, although her tanned skin gave her a foreign look.

Several of her friends noticed his presence and broke off from the conversation, watching him in surprise and consternation. Even fellow Slytherins feared him: in fact, perhaps they feared him most of all, knowing precisely what he was capable of. Looks of fear, respect and envy stared back at him. With all the arrogant confidence of a Malfoy, Draco bent down to Abigail's ear and as his warm breath caressed her neck, she stopped talking.

"I accept your apology," he stated quietly to her.

Several girls looked back at Abigail with obvious jealousy in their faces as they saw the white-blond hair angel whispering to her.

"We are obviously alike, you and I, both Purebloods and powerful. Therefore, I will forget about this afternoon. But next time, you should know that I will not be so forgiving."

He pressed his hand hard around her shoulder and stood up again, waiting for her answer.

"I'm thrilled," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm as a fake smile lingered on her lips. Draco simply smirked at her and left, well-concealed anger seething below the surface.

_She'll definitely have it coming to her._

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After supper, Draco ran up to his room without seeing Granger as he walked through the common room: it always surprised him that they never bumped into each other. He sat down immediately at his desk to write a letter to his father.

_Father, _

_I have discovered the identity of the last descendant. She is a Slytherin and thus should cause no trouble: it will be easy to make her reveal all of the information we need. However, I was troubled to see that she defended a Mudblood and, therefore, I believe she may have already joined the other side. I will do my best to learn more about the books. _

_Draco. _

He immediately sent his letter by owl from his window, aware that his father would expect information as soon as it was available, and would not tolerate a delay. Collapsing on his bed, he began to ponder on the day's events. Was Serpent really working for Dumbledore? Is that why she had come to Granger's rescue?

However it didn't make sense. He had noticed the look of hatred that had crossed Abigail's face as she spoke to the Mudblood. He had instantly recognised it, seeing it almost everyday from his father. Granger herself had been surprised when Abigail had entered the room. It was if they already knew each other, but he didn't sense any bond of friendship.

But it was impossible that Hermione could have known who she was! Even Draco had not known who that girl truly was until today. He had recognised her as Blaise's ex-girlfriend, but they had never really spoken to each other before. They never had had reason to before. But if she was working for Dumbledore then perhaps that was how the two girls had already met. However, his train of thought just led him around in circles.

Inside Draco felt something still wasn't quite right. He didn't believe the old fool would have recruited such a powerful Pureblood, and a Slytherin. Dumbledore did not trust Malfoy's kind. It still didn't explain how Granger and Serpent knew each other, unless...

Draco got up quickly, realising the obvious. He shot out of his room and into the common room. He had decided to interrogate Granger, and headed quickly for her room.

However, as he crossed the common room again, he suddenly noticed a familiar shadow against the wall. Looking intently towards the fireplace, he noticed her. She was curled up in one of the big armchairs reading a book. Her bushy hair fell into her face and her eyes gazed intently at the page before her. She was obviously ignoring him.

_Typical_! But at least now he would have his answer.

"Evening, Granger," he greeted her maliciously, grabbing the book out of her hands.

"Malfoy, give me back my book!" she shot back, giving him a foul look.

"Tsk, tsk, manners Granger. I need you to explain something for me," he answered, as he threw the book aside. Granger instinctively went to pick it up, but he stopped her roughly with a strong arm and abruptly swung her round so that she was facing him.

She had changed since last year, he noticed. The Mudblood had nicer curves than the previous year but had also lost her refreshingly innocent look: the only features to stand out now were her round, dark brown eyes, which seemed empty and showed signs of constant stress and fatigue.

Still, she had her charms - more than one would expect from a Mudblood. This fact had often struck him during all those years, and especially the last one, but it was also one of the reasons why he hated her so much. Not only could she not keep her mouth shut, she also had enough audacity to catch his attention with her looks. At that instant, the lack of fear in her eyes angered him, and, not for the first time, he noticed how easy it was for the Gryffindor Mudblood to make him lose control with one look.

"Why would a sixth-year Slytherin come to your rescue?" he questioned bitterly.

"I don't know," she replied bluntly.

But Draco had already noticed the sudden tension in her body and flicker of fear in her eyes. She had poorly hidden her astonishment and discomfort at his question.

"Don't play dumb Granger! What's the link between Abigail Serpent and a Mudblood?"

Her eyes narrowed at the insult. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He looked down at her with pure contempt. "Really? Well it seems like your pretty ideas about helping me out have changed considerably since this morning."

Hermione lowered her head at his words and did not reply. Draco smiled inwardly to himself. She was already showing signs of weakness, but somehow the defeat felt a little hollow, as the words poured out of his mouth before he had time to think.

"Oh I see - so this morning was just a little act then. Let's go lure Draco so he can show us his Dark Mark to see if the rumours are true." It was impossible for him to conceal his bitterness now.

"Stop it," she whispered, still looking away. But he kept on.

"It was obvious all along that you would no longer want to 'save me' after spending a _golden summer_ with Potter and Weasel. I'm sure you must have forgotten all about me, having fun with your precious friends. That's certainly what I did - I forgot all about the horrible sight of you - I never gave another thought about my little Mudblood." His tone suddenly became harsh. "So why don't you drop the saviour act, Granger? It looks bad for the both of us."

"Screw you!"

Before he knew it, she lifted her hand, wanting to smack him across the face. Fortunately for him, he caught her arm before the damage was done.

"What?"

Anger started to overtake him again, but to his surprise she wasn't intimidated, and pushed herself away from him with all her strength.

"I said screw you!" she shouted back at him. "I reached out my hand to you! I wanted to help you because I had faith in you - you creep! I'm the only one who could possibly want to save you now Malfoy – no one else has any interest in you. And when I realised that, I made more of an effort to make you realise it as well."

She stopped, her voice becoming a whisper and tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I didn't think this year would be the same. I thought forgetting about you would be easy. But all the time and effort I put into that task was for nothing; nothing has changed! For God's sake Draco, I spent all summer worrying about you!"

She stepped backwards, slowly, edging away from him, as if the mere sight of him pained her, and the pain grew less with distance.

"All these questions kept hammering in my head! Is he dead? Is it too late? Did his father finally oblige him to become one of them? Or did he refuse? Did he realise his own potential and refuse the path set for him by others?"

By now, her whole body seemed to shiver as she looked up deeply into Draco's silver stare. "Do you know what it feels like inside to be left in the dark for two whole months and then hear your worst fear has become true? Obviously not."

His face, which had been held in a cold expression, was gradually dropping to reveal his confusion, despite his best efforts.

"I was a fucking idiot to ever worry over an egoistical bastard like you!"

In a moment of weakness Draco crossed the room, grabbed her fiercely and kissed her, unwilling to listen to her tirade any longer. Sensing her surprise, he pressed his lips harder against hers and held a tight grip around her waist, keeping her locked in his embrace. He noticed she had started trembling under him but he did not break the kiss.

Her lips were soft and warm as she responded to him - this was all so different from anything he had ever experienced before. Passion seemed to run through his entire body only to concentrate in his mouth. He felt Hermione give in completely to him, her body sighing into his. She moaned against his mouth and it was her sudden yielding that caused Draco to realise what he was doing.

Furious with himself, he pushed her away and without a backward glance, stormed off into his room, leaving Hermione dizzy and confused in the middle of the darkened room.

That night, Granger's confused eyes haunted Draco's dreams. And in anger, he realised that his questions had not been answered.

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**This chapter is shorter than the previous, sorry. I hope u enjoyed the kiss. Don't we all love evil Draco! Next chapter will be up soon, it'll be from Hermione's POV. Review this way please...**


	5. Warning

**Author's Notes: Hello sorry for the delay. Special thanx to all my reviewers: padfootsknightingale, litto-kitty, bergeaud, RuByMoOn17, Mammakitten121 (thanx for understanding why it takes a while to get into the story, next chapter will come soon, I promise!), MelMalfoy (im so glad ur enjoying it, sorry about the swearing, I've cut in down but sometimes it is essential!), chisox727. Voila!**

**I enjoy all reviews and if you have any sugggestions, please tell me or email! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5

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"Hermione, over here," Harry and Ron cried out to her.

Hermione looked ahead towards her two best friends as they called her from the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Everyone already seemed seated and served as she quickly walked to her seat – she hadn't realised she was late.

"Gosh Hermione, you look like hell!" said Ron, between two muffin bites.

She scowled back as she sat across from him, although his comment didn't surprise her. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Malfoy's unexpected kiss all night. Her feelings were torn between pleasure and guilt. Part of her was disappointed it hadn't gone any further, whilst the other part feared the consequences. What was going to happen now? Could Malfoy possibly hate her even more?

She looked at Harry, sitting next to her, eating breakfast. It wasn't very difficult for Malfoy to get his own back. Hurting either Harry or Ron would prove easy for the new Death Eater, and she dreaded to think what he could do to her. She could no longer count on her two friends to protect her.

Harry had grown a lot during the summer, but after Dumbledore had cut down his Quidditch practices and matches, he had lost most of his strength, not to mention the last of his confidence. Ron, on the other hand, was taller and much broader. He could have made a great rugby player, if he were a Muggle. Indeed, her red-haired friend could certainly beat Malfoy any time in a Muggle fight, but strength was not all in the wizarding world. Malfoy could easily overcome Ron in a wizard duel. In the end, Hermione knew she was on her own if Malfoy ever decided to make her his next victim, and so she preferred to keep both her friends out of all her troubles.

As she helped herself to breakfast, listening to tales of Lavender's summer love for the tenth time, she noticed Ginny enter the hall with her boyfriend, a Ravenclaw Quidditch player. Hermione didn't know him very well, and wasn't sure how deep their relationship was, but Harry's pained face seemed to answer that question. He had realised his feelings for Ginny at the beginning of sixth year and had sworn only a week ago that he was over her, officially. However, it seemed to prove more difficult than that. The young Weasley had grown a gorgeous figure and as she walked towards the table with confidence, her long silky auburn hair bounced behind her, catching most of the male population's eye.

"Ginny, how are you doing?" Hermione greeted her friend, who hurriedly sat down next to Ron.

"Hermione! I've been looking for you everywhere since we left Hogsmeade! Are you alright? Malfoy didn't harm you in the end, did he? You really scared me; you didn't even come down to dinner last night!" she questioned eagerly.

Mentally kicking herself for not reassuring Ginny before, Hermione watched anxiously as Harry spat out his orange juice and Ron choked on his muffin.

"Malfoy-" Harry began.

"WHAT?" Ron spat out angrily, looking at her. "MALFOY WHAT?"

"Ron, pipe down," Ginny told him quickly, her eyes looking around anxiously in case nearby students had heard him.

"I'm fine, Ginny," Hermione answered her and then turned to the boys, trying to come up with some sort of explanation. "Yes, I ran into Malfoy in Hogsmeade yesterday. We argued but nothing happened, I'm fine."

As Ron's face became scarlet, Harry's jaw fell open in shock.

"Hermione, did he harm you? Did that son of a bitch touch you?" Ron finally exploded.

Ginny hushed him again as Hermione answered in a whisper. "No, Ronald. He's Head Boy, for God's sake. Of course he didn't harm me."

Her lie, however, sounded unconvincing even to herself.

"I'm guessing Abigail helped you out," Ginny began, gulping down her orange juice. "I bumped into her when I overheard Pansy talking about you and she said she'd take care of it."

"Well, actually she - "

"Abigail!" Ron shouted once more. "Who the hell is Abigail?"

Hermione knew she had to do something to prevent Harry and Ron from discovering that Abigail was a Slytherin, or else they would probably become angry. As Ginny started opening her mouth, Hermione kicked her discreetly under the table.

"_What?_" she mouthed back at Hermione. Ron looked from Ginny to Hermione and back to Ginny.

"No one in particular, Ron," Hermione stated. "She's just a sixth year, right, Gin?"

"Yeah right," she mumbled back, rubbing her leg under the table. Harry, still looking pale, seemed reassured and not too bothered about the mysterious Abigail, as long as his friend was fine, but Ron seemed less convinced.

"Look guys, I'd better go," Hermione started, stuffing a couple of muffins in her pockets. "Classes start in ten minutes and I've got last minute things to do before Transfigurations. You know, Head Girl stuff, so I'll see you later, okay?"

She left the hall, ignoring the pair of cold grey eyes which were following her every move. She turned around the corner, wanting to get away as quickly as possible - her knees were weak and she felt very faint all of a sudden._ Oh God, what would happen if they found out about Abigail? And what if Malfoy finds out?_ She didn't need any more wizards knowing about her parents' behaviour. But Hermione didn't have time to answer her questions as she suddenly collided into another student.

"Watch where you're going!" the girl hissed at Hermione, as she picked up her scattered parchments.

"Oh, I'm sorry - er - Abigail!" Hermione suddenly realised as her eyes looked up at the younger student. _Speak of the devil_, she thought, as she started helping her collect her stuff. "Look, about yesterday, I -"

"Save it, Granger!" Abigail snarled back, heading towards the Great Hall before coming to a halt. "And next time you're with Malfoy, try to be more careful. If you get hurt, you wouldn't want to get stuck in a Muggle hospital, would you?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed at her words. "If you're off to breakfast, you've only got five minutes."

"I don't eat breakfast," she answered coldly, turning away from the Head Girl.

Hermione sighed as she watched the Slytherin disappear down the corridor. What was she going to do about her?

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Hermione reached Transfigurations just in time before the bell. She rapidly joined Harry and Ron, but as they walked to their usual places, Professor McGonagall stopped them.

"You three, follow me please. Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you," she announced.

Curious to know what could possibly be more important than class, Hermione followed McGonagall to the gargoyle statue. The professor uttered the password and the trio mounted the circular stone staircase up to Dumbledore's office.

As soon as the trio entered, Harry, obviously dreading bad news, ran up to Dumbledore's desk. "Professor, is it about the Order? Did somebody else get hurt?"

The old man looked pitifully down at his favourite student. His sparkling blue eyes softened as he watched Harry's face filled with worry. He stroked his snow-white beard softly, out of habit.

"No Harry. Do not fear. The members of the Order are all safe. It is another important matter that I wish to discuss. That is why you were sent to see me."

Three chairs suddenly appeared out of nowhere and Dumbledore urged the three students to sit down. Hermione looked around the office anxiously. Will Dumbledore warn them, yet again, against Voldemort and his Death Eaters?

"Professor, what did you need to discuss with us?" Ron finally asked.

Hermione noticed that Dumbledore's warm smile disappeared as he looked down at them, over his half mooned spectacles.

"As you three know, the Wizarding world is no longer safe since Voldemort's return. We have been better prepared to confront him though, as Harry announced his return to me at the end of his fourth year. Unfortunately, last year Voldemort has once again proven to me that his forces outnumbered mine and that my students are no longer safe outside of Hogwarts. However, within the castle dangers lie ahead as well. You must have noticed by now that several of your fellow students have joined Voldemort's ranks. I need to warn you against them and also advise you to stay as far as possible away from them. They are dangerous and might have been given orders to harm you. Oh and I also forbid you to venture around the school's grounds by yourself."

Looking at all three students sternly, he continued. "Do I make myself clear?"

Hermione could not believe what she had just heard. Dumbledore, Hogwarts' Headmaster, was warning them against other students and was implicitly acknowledging the rumours. Now even the teachers knew that Malfoy was a Death Eater. She cast a nervous glance at Harry and Ron, who simply nodded back to Dumbledore. Did they realise that he was talking about Malfoy?

"That is all."

Harry and Ron thanked the Professor and left his office quickly, but Hermione was still lost in her thoughts. When Harry called her name from the door she leapt out of her seat and hurried towards the door. Coming out of his office, the three walked slowly back toward Transfigurations, slightly shocked by their meeting with the Headmaster.

"Well, I think I can definitely classify Malfoy as a Death Eater now," Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, this isn't funny. Dumbledore himself is warning us against Malfoy. You guys have to be careful now, you can't provoke him like before," Hermione stated.

"Look who's talking!" Ron retorted. "Wasn't it you who got in trouble with him yesterday?"

Hermione glared back at him but didn't answer. This wasn't the time for her usual bickering with Ron. She looked at Harry, who didn't say a word, but continued to walk straight on. She had no idea what her best friend was thinking about, but his expressionless face worried her.

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It was finally time for Potions with the Slytherins. Snape had assembled the class in pairs for the day's lesson.

"... Weasley with Zabini, Head Boy with Head Girl and finally Potter, being such a celebrity you can surely make the Animagi potion by yourself," Snape announced.

Laughter rang out among the Slytherins but Hermione took no notice of it. Head Boy with Head Girl? She nearly had a heart attack at the words and felt her face become bright red. How could she face Malfoy after last night? What was she going to say to him? Her legs could barely carry her as she stumbled to his desk. She sat down quietly, not daring to look him in the eye.

Placing the ingredients on the table, she realised that he was also avoiding her and she relaxed a little. Neither student was talking to each other, although they both knew what the other one was thinking._ That's fine with me. I'll just do the potion in silence and then walk away as quickly as possible._

But time wasn't on her side. It passed by much too slowly for Hermione, who finally decided to break the uncomfortable silence. However, before she could utter a single word, Malfoy interrupted her.

"Don't talk to me now, Granger! Just do the potion," he growled, stirring the dark green liquid anti-clockwise.

Hermione was surprised by his words but did as she was told. She looked behind her and watched Harry prepare the difficult potion as best as he could. Poor Harry, he needed so badly a good grade at his NEWT to become an Auror, but it seemed Snape had decided against helping him improve. She turned back to her own potion, dropping in bat's wings and then stirred it three times clockwise. Snape was right after all, the potion was extremely difficult, even for seventh-years. How on earth had the Marauders succeeded in doing it? She looked up and her gaze fell on Malfoy, who added the next ingredients and then looked back at her expectantly.

"What?"

"Get the dragon leaves," he snarled in a threatening voice.

Hermione looked back at him, raising her brow.

"Why don't you do it yourself?" she muttered, in spite of herself, before walking off to the ingredients closet.

Hermione carefully took the glass jar containing the precious dragon leaves. They were quite expensive and although they were called 'leaves', they were as fragile as crystal glass. As she brought the jar back to Malfoy's desk, she noticed that he was still glaring at her.

"You think I can't hear your muttering, Mudblood?" he said dangerously.

"Stop calling me that! And here, take the damn dragon leaves!" she exclaimed in return, taking out the leaves from the jar and handing them over to him.

"I don't think so."

Confused, Hermione looked up at him. Steely silver eyes bored into her and before she knew it, Malfoy took the dragon leaves and dropped them purposely at Hermione's feet. She watched helplessly as the leaves hit the stone floor and shattered into hundreds of small shards.

"Miss Granger, have you gained some of Longbottom's stupidity or have the words 'fragile' and 'expensive' simply disappeared from your vocabulary?" Snape shouted from behind his desk.

Hermione looked up incredulously at Snape and started to protest, but she knew there was no point whatsoever. The potions master had probably seen Malfoy drop the leaves, but he would never accuse his favorite student. Malfoy was a genius for Snape and, no matter what, the Slytherin Prince would always obtain the highest grade.

She glared back at Malfoy, who simply cocked his head, amused.

_Cunning git! _

Snape would clearly give them the usual four-hour detention, which he himself never attended. If that were the case, then Hermione would soon have a long tête-à-tête with the Slytherin devil in an empty dungeon.

"I am profoundly sorry to impose Granger's presence on you, Draco, but both of you will be starting the potion all over again tomorrow night. I trust you to manipulate the dragon leaves with caution instead of Miss Granger. "

As soon as Snape was finished, a loud explosion was heard from the back of the class. Hermione turned around to find Harry covered top to bottom in his 'potion'.

"And yet again the famous Harry Potter is seeking for attention. Very well then. I'll be seeing you tonight for detention, Potter. Eight O'clock sharp," Snape sneered.

Hermione could feel Harry's anger grow inside of him but he did nothing. Nowadays Harry hardly ever confronted a teacher, Hermione noticed. He seemed to have simply given up sticking up for himself. She turned back to her potion as the class was being dismissed and busied herself with putting the spare ingredients away whilst thinking about tomorrow night. What was Malfoy going to do to her this time? Hadn't Dumbledore warned her, only a few hours ago, not to get into this sort of situation! And this time, no one would be there to save her.

As she continued to gather her parchment and quills she felt a familiar presence breathing down her neck.

"I'll be seeing you tomorrow night, Granger," Malfoy whispered to her.

Sensing him so close to her made Hermione shiver, but not from fear: if he whispered in her ear again she would surely faint from feeling so weak. Walking out of the classroom, she ordered her mind to forget last night's kiss once and for all, seeing how Malfoy hated her even more for it; but her body wouldn't let her.

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**Silly Hermione, falling into Malfoy's trap... So what did you think of my description of Harry and Ron? Writing about them is new for me, so I hope it was credible for you guys. Next chapter evil Pansy makes her entrance and Abby meets Harry Potter...**


	6. Meeting

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and co does not belong to me. All characters you do not recognise are my own invention.**

**Author's Note: Ok, sorry for being a little late with the update but my writing will suffer as I'm working everyday now; I'm too tired when I come back to stay up and write so again I'm sorry. Not many reviews on the last chappie! Did you not like it?**

**I hope you'll enjoy chapter 6. Wow, already 6 and I don't know how long this fic will last, probably about 20 chapters. Anyway it's Abby's POV and I have done my best not to make her a Mary Sue. She is a Slytherin after all! Oh and Harry's character is more thoroughly developed in this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6

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Abigail woke up the next day with a painful headache. She hadn't got much sleep. Unfortunately her room shared only a thin wall with Pansy Parkinson's room and last night the Slytherin girl had obviously had a good time. Crawling out of bed Abigail briefly wondered who Pansy got lucky with this time and opened the window to let her owl in. She received yet another letter from her father asking her to befriend Draco Malfoy, which infuriated her.

_Why does he keep asking me this? _Something was definitely up, her fater had never interfered with her social life before! The letter had also briefly mentioned the Ministry, which, for the fourth time, had refused to let her mother leave the Muggle hospital. This only made matters worse. In a moment of rage, Abigail stormed around the room to get her clothes, determined to apparate to Malfoy Manor and give her father a piece of her mind.

Realising that disapparating from Hogwarts would not be so easy, Abigail, still furious, ripped a piece of parchment out from her drawer and wrote frantically on it.

_Dear Father,_

_Are you out of your mind? The Malfoys! Everybody knows that they are Death Eaters! Father, we are forbidden to take sides on this war, remember? You should know that by now! What would Mother say? As for Draco Malfoy, of course I will not befriend that sadistic bastard, nor will I let you stay with the Malfoys forever. I am two inches away from apparating to the Malfoy Manor right now to bring you home, even if I have to drag you-_

She continued her race on paper for another few minutes before finally ripping it to shreds. She couldn't send that to her Father, she owed him more respect than that and besides, she was angry with him for something he wasn't responsible for. Also, knowing Lucius Malfoy by reputation, he would probably read the letter before it even reached her father.

Sighing deeply, Abigail pulled out a new piece of parchment. At least she had to warn him from the Imperio curse, if it wasn't already too late.

_Dear Father,_

_Be careful of the Malfoys. Remember what Mother taught you about protecting yourself from curses. I have met Draco. He seems -_

She paused.

_-determined to know more about me, or more likely about our family. Please write to me soon. I hope your stay with the Malfoys will not last too long. I miss you._

_Abigail. _

Satisfied with the letter, she immediately sent her owl to deliver it. The stubborn snowy owl had no intention of making yet another long flight but Abigail knew how to convince her with a few mice.

Next, she headed for the showers.

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Although her roommates had all left for breakfast, Abigail heard distinctive noises as she stepped out of the steamy room, a towel wrapped around her. She reached her bed to find none other than Miss Pansy Parkinson rummaging through her desk.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Abigail yelled.

The other girl turned around quickly, fiddling anxiously with her cloak. Abigail was angry with Pansy for the invasion, but at the same time felt incredibly embarrassed to be seen with only a towel wrapped around her body.

"Hello to you too, Abigail," Pansy coolly answered, trying her best to look innocent. "I simply came to see how you were doing. I haven't seen you at breakfast for ages. On a diet, are you?"

Abigail's face turned crimson. "That's none of your business!" she spat out, feeling her body shake in anger. "And now if you don't mind, I'd like some privacy to get dressed! So, in other words, get out!"

"Don't be such a prude, Miss I-think-I'm-so-cool-by-changing-my-name! There are only girls here," Pansy retorted haughtily.

"Well, judging by the noises you were making last night, I'd say you're wrong! Who was it this time, Pansy? Who did you contaminate now?" she asked sarcastically.

Abigail had hit a nerve. Although Pansy was the worst of sluts, she hated being called one, even implicitly. "Oh please! We all know you're not the immaculate virgin yourself, Abby," she retorted, venom in her voice. She watched with delight as colour suddenly drained from Abigail's face, but she quickly recovered.

"Get out of my room!" she hissed, her dangerous voice scaring the other girl, who instantly backed away from her.

However, due to a problematic lack of brains, Pansy carried on.

"I learnt it from Blaise last night in bed, you know," she said maliciously, smirking, whilst making her way to the door. Abigail's dark eyes glared with even more fury as she listened to Pansy's words.

"If only you'd put in more effort, Abby, he wouldn't have come crawling back to me. Shame, isn't it?"

She then ran for her life as Abigail quickly lunged for her wand to hex her, but wasn't quick enough and the spell crashed against the door.

Pansy was already out of view.

"Aaaargh!" Abigail cried out in frustration. She couldn't believe it was _him_ that she had heard last night with Parkinslut! Her day couldn't get any worse now. Quickly getting dressed in her robes, she reached for a cigarette pack hidden in her drawer and stepped out of the dungeons, taking the first available way out.

She skirted the edge of the castle and made her way to the lake, where she sat down and lit up. Lying on her back she thought of the morning's events. Why was Pansy in her room? No way could it be out of concern! She remained lost in her thoughts for a while until she suddenly felt the sun being blocked from her face.

"Miss Serpent, smoking is strictly forbidden at Hogwarts, even for you!"

**********..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail reached McGonagall's office at eight o'clock on the dot. The professor had indeed caught her smoking and given her detention, but Abigail supposed it was a fair deal, as McGonagall had caught her red-handed. She should have hid behind the greenhouses where all the other smokers usually went.

Having changed out of her uniform and into jeans and a sweater, she noticed that her jeans were too big for her and her sweater seemed to have grown a couple of sizes, but she thought nothing more of it.

She knocked on the Transfiguration office door and walked in. She had dreaded detention all day, as McGonagall had always expressed a strong resentment towards her. She was a Slytherin after all, whilst McGonagall was head of Gryffindor and Abigail annoyed her even more by her precise knowledge of most Transfigurations spells.

Stepping into the office, she watched as McGonagall stood up from her desk chair and looked down at her student with concealed contempt, which Abigail sensed all the same.

"I see you are on time. I wish it were the case with my classes. Follow me then."

Abigail followed silently, as she was lead to the trophy room. When McGonagall stopped, a small smile crept on her thin lips. "Wait here please. I shall not be long."

Entering the room cautiously, Abigail looked around. The walls were hidden by glass cases, which encased dozens - no hundreds of different trophies. She had only been in the room once before, whilst touring Hogwarts in her first year. At least now she had a vague idea of what her detention would be... Suddenly, McGonagall's distinctive footsteps were heard, along with others. She turned around to see the professor standing at the door with another student.

Harry Potter.

"Mr Potter will be joining you for the evening, Miss Serpent, as Professor Snape is unable to hold his detention. I expect this room to be sparkling clean when I return in three hours time, not a speck of dust to be seen. I have not seen Hogwarts' trophies shining for years, such a pity. With your combined efforts, I am sure the room should return to its legendary radiance."

McGonagall watched both students sternly, but Harry looked indifferently back at the walls. He probably wouldn't have cared less if McGonagall had suddenly ordered them to dance naked in front of her.

"Very well then. You shall find everything you need in the closet. Good luck," the professor finished before she left the room.

"Well, this is going to be fun," Abigail mumbled as she opened the closet and took out the proper equipment.

She tied her long hair back in a messy bun, allowing random strands to fall back in her face. She then turned to hand cloths and cleaning products to Harry, who simply stared back at her, still expressionless. She looked up at him and watched him closely for the first time. The famous Harry Potter was standing in front of her and of course, he intrigued her, as he did everyone else. Although he was tall, his body seemed frail. He did not possess his friend's, Ronald Weasley, bulkiness, or Malfoy's stature. His body definitely showed signs of distress and fatigue but still, Harry was quite good-looking. He had black raven hair, like Abigail, which was messy but looked good on him. His round boyish features had given way to a square jaw and clean cut features making his face much more agreeable.

The only problem was Harry's eyes. His once shiny, emerald eyes had become empty over the past year and they often held fear within them.

_I guess confronting Voldemort and Death Eaters does that to you._

Deciding to make an effort to wipe the pitiful look off his face, she spoke to him again, as she opened the glass windows and started scrubbing the first trophy.

"You know, I've also got a lot of time to kill here and since we're all alone, there's no harm in talking."

Harry grabbed the next trophy, covering it with some blue magical metal polisher that Abigail had never encountered before.

"I guess so."

"My name's Abigail," she greeted him with a friendly smile, "I'm a sixth year."

"I'm Harry," he answered slowly, still cleaning away.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you. My mother used to tell me stories about you."

"Really? My parents are dead," he replied bluntly.

His voice was dull, as if used to hearing her kind of small talk everyday, and his attitude didn't surprise her. Everyone from the wizarding world would have loved a chance to talk with the famous Harry Potter. It was best to change the subject quickly or the conversation wouldn't last much longer.

Taking out her wand from her back pocket, Abigail grinned at him and spoke up, breaking Harry away from his reverie.

"What do you say if we used a little magic? After all, Professor McGonagall didn't defend us from doing so."

Debating with himself a few seconds, Harry happily dropped his cloth. "Okay."

Pointing her wand to the cloths and products, she ordered "_Nettum!_" and they suddenly came to life, floating in the air and scrubbing away at the trophies.

"That's better," she said sighing heavily and sitting down against the wall.

Harry followed, sitting down beside her. "Why are you here?" he asked, suddenly curious.

"Sorry?"

"Why are you in detention?" he repeated.

Abigail crossed her legs as she answered. "I was caught smoking. And you'd think the wizarding world wouldn't care, huh? Guess not, McGonagall went bonkers at me, even though I kept telling her that I know a counter curse for it."

Her voice suddenly stopped as she noticed Harry's eyes grow wide. "You know a counter curse for smoking? You mean, like smoking without damaging your health or something?"

"It's just a spell a found in a book at home," she answered a little too quickly. She didn't want to bring Harry's attention on the particular book. "I could teach it to you, if you wanted?"

"No, it's okay, I probably wouldn't remember it anyway."

He paused. "So, are you Muggle-born?"

She snorted as she heard the question. A Muggle-born? If he only knew...

"No, not at all."

Harry's face fell into a scowl.

"That doesn't exactly mean I'm a Death Eater either!" she growled, but then she noticed him shudder at the word and softened. He had suffered too long from that twisted Voldemort.

"Besides, aren't your Weasley friends Purebloods too?"

His eyes lightened up at the mention of their names. "You know them?"

"Ginny, sort of," she shrugged, watching the trophies being polished.

Harry bewildered by her answer fell silent but immediately looked back up at her. "Hey, wait a minute, _you're_ the one Ginny was talking about this morning. Apparently you saved Hermione from the _ferret_!"

Abigail had never heard such a venomous hiss as the one Harry used to describe Malfoy. She had heard about them being enemies and all, but she had always believed most rumours had been exaggerated. His insult, on the other hand, made her laugh, as she playfully tucked back a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Is that what the Gryffindors call him? I think 'white boy' is a good nickname for him! It only makes me laugh though, because the others are too scared of him now."

It didn't seem to make Harry laugh either, which made her uneasy. She watched him as he stared back down at the floor intently. There was obviously something on his mind, but he seemed to be debating whether to voice it or not. Finally, as she was about to ask him what the matter was, he opened up.

"So, how do you manage to stand up to Malfoy, these days? Haven't you heard? He's a Death Eater now."

His angry green eyes had given way to fear and anxiety. Sitting next to him even made Abigail nervous. She could not believe how much the Boy Who Lived had changed over the years.

Huddling her knees to her chest, she rested her arms on them before she spoke. "Well, I'm afraid of Voldemort, of course. I mean, aren't we all?"

She noticed Harry's surprised look as she spoke out the Dark Lord's name, but ignored it and ploughed on.

"But giving in to your fear is a different matter. That's how he obtains his power, because everyone's too afriad to stand up to him. Fighting back and being courageous is the only way to overcome fear and defeat him."

She paused, looking back down to the ground. "At least, that's the theory."

Harry reflected on what the sixth-year girl had said and frowned. She knew he didn't believe her, especially after everything that had happened.

"That's what I thought too until I lost too many friends. Last year, it was - it was -"

But he couldn't finish his sentence. The event was too recent for him and she knew it. She did not like talking about the student massacre either.

"I know," she breathed, searching his eyes, "you don't have to explain yourself to me. It's easy to understand how you feel."

Her dark brown eyes stared deeply into emerald as she answered him.

"Even when you smile, we can still see sorrow in your eyes," she spoke calmly, holding his enticing emerald gaze until she finally noticed the glimpse of a smile on Harry's face.

"Same goes for you, Abigail," he stated.

She looked away quickly as if he had seen right through her._ This is bad! He shouldn't be noticing these things._ And why was she opening up to him anyway? Why did she feel like she wanted to help him?

"We all have secrets locked away, Harry."

"So you and I are obviously alike. Except that you were brought up as a Pureblood."

_Funny you should say that_, Abigail thought, suddenly remembering what Malfoy had previously told her, but somehow it bothered her that Harry had brought up her Pureblood status again. He had even scowled again as he said it. She leaned closer to him, facing him to show her disapproval.

"You seem kind of stuck on that point. You know, it's not because I'm a Pureblood, as you say, that I hate Muggles and Muggle-borns. I don't exactly hate Muggles, I even prefer some of their inventions; I am wearing their clothes in case you hadn't noticed," she stated pointing to her jeans.

Harry crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "But..." he looked at her expectantly.

Abigail looked at him uneasily. She didn't like admitting her weaknesses, even if it was to Harry Potter. "But, well - well I guess they scare me," she answered carefully, looking down at her hands.

Harry lifted an eyebrow at her. He didn't seem to believe her. "_Muggles_ scare you, what even more than Voldemort?"

His sarcasm was starting to get to her. She fought the urge to smirk at him like any other Slytherin would do. She didn't like people making fun of her; she didn't have the patience for it either.

"You don't need incantations to shoot a bullet or drop a bomb, Harry," she said dangerously. "We wizards just don't have the same weapons! That's why I fear Muggles, and that's why Voldemort is such a threat to the wizarding world and must be stopped. If he declares war on Muggles, he will expose us to their world and no doubt our kind will be exterminated."

Big green eyes stared blankly back at her. "I'd never seen things that way."

The expression on his face made her laugh lightly. "Welcome to Abby's point of view, my friend. But don't worry, I'm not a Seer, this is my opinion is all. Unfortunately, it will never be considered, as the wizarding community doesn't give Muggles enough credit..."

**********..~**~..**

Their conversation lasted nearly three hours before they decided to finish the detention themselves. Picking up the cloths, they scrubbed the remaining trophies as McGonagall walked back in, looking immensely satisfied, though she would not admit it to them. Telling them that they should quickly head back to their dorms, she left the room and Abigail turned to face Harry, barely containing her laughter.

He joined in, showing off his white teeth. "I can't believe she thought we cleaned every single trophy ourselves!"

"I know! If she only knew, she'd probably have us start all over again," she joined in, tossing the cloth away. She tried to recall the last time she had actually laughed or had such an interesting conversation with anyone, but she couldn't.

Harry finally braced himself and smiled at her. "It was nice meeting you, Abby. It's weird that I never met you before. What house do you belong to again?"

She paused for a moment, before looking at her watch. "Oh, look at the time," she replied quickly, "it's nearly midnight and I have to get up early tomorrow."

She hated lying like this, but she had spent such a pleasant evening with him that she couldn't bring herself to admit she was a Slytherin.

_Not just yet._

It was tough being a Slytherin. After all, none of the other students or teachers trusted them and the reputation only got worse since Voldemort returned.

"I'll see you around, Harry," she continued, "and try staying out of trouble next time."

"Yeah, try not to get caught next time!"

He paused suddenly looking awkward and insecure. Once again, a look of debate fell upon his face. "Would you - would you, by any chance, like to watch the Gryffindor's Quidditch practice, Friday night? I'm only asking because you said you were interested in the game and -"

"Sure, why not?" she interrupted, smiling at his unease. She pulled loose strands once again out of her face and this time noticed the way Harry was looking at her.

"I'll be there. Goodnight," and with a brief wave at the door, Abigail walked out of the trophy room and along the dark corridor.

"Bye," Harry called after her.

She hurried down to the dungeons, joining some fellow sixth-year Slytherins in the common room, chatting: something she hadn't done in a long time. A big smile appeared on her face that night as her mind kept running over her more than pleasant detention time with Harry Potter.

**********..~**~..**

* * *

**Whew! Well, I thought I'd upload now even though its late at night for me! So any guesses as to who Pansy was sleeping with last night? And nope, its not Draco, that sexy devil! And remember, reviews are everything to me! So please review! Please, please, please...**

**Take care now and I'll be seeing you in a week hopefully! Lots more Draco/Hermione action to come next time - well they do spend 4 hours in detention! Yay!**

**Hathor xxx**


	7. Evil

**Author's Notes: So so sorry the delay! I've been working all week trying to ear some money before university starts again and the rest of my time was spent watching the Olympic Games! Oh well now that its over, the next chapter will be coming up very shortly; its already half written.**

**Important! Now about chapter 7, I'd like to warn younger people that it contains some horrid stuff because of the Death-Eater meeting and Draco seriously lacks moral beliefs in this! As I'm not too sure what is considered R written-wise, I prefer at least giving this warning. The real R chapters will come later.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, everything belongs to J K Rowling except the characters you do not recognise such as Abigail.**

**Before you eagerly read on; I'd like to personally thank all those who reviewed last time. They meant a lot to me! And I hope to get a lot more:)**

Obbsesive: Glad you like my OC character. She's important as she adds a different perspective to the Harry Potter world. This chapter is ALL Draco, hope you like it!

Total-nirvana: I really appreciate your comment on Abigail. I'm also not a big fan of OC's, especially in with HP, they all seem to be foreign exchange students from the states!

Roguish muse: Hey, thanx for reviewing! I wonder who recommended the story. Hope you get your share of Draco in this one!

Mammakitten121: Hello and thank you for your comments on chapter 6. Your reviews mean a lot and I look out for them! I dedicate this chapter especially to you as your review made me want to update quicker! Thanx again and enjoy!

**********..~**~..**

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

It was a bright autumn morning as Draco walked back towards Hogwarts castle. He had been called last night by the Dark Lord to attend the usual Death Eater 'ceremonies' and had apparated from the Forbidden Forest at sunset.

As Draco hurriedly made his way across the grounds before the other students woke up and caught sight of him from the tower windows he recalled last night's events, which flooded clearly into his mind.

**********..~**~..**

Voldemort's cackling voice resonated throughout the large hall. His pale, twisted, bony hands clapped together as he watched the scene before him. Dozens of Death Eaters were standing in the hall, looking down victoriously at their recent victims.

A Muggle family lay strewn across the stone floor, dead. They had been randomly chosen by two of the Death-Eaters and kidnapped for the ceremony.

There was no warning, no pity for them, simply death.

Death had violently struck all members of the family and it appeared to deeply amuse the Dark Lord. Draco looked down at them as well. He was dressed in black robes from head to toe and his large black hood hid his angered face.

_Bloody idiots!_

The Muggles had tried to resist their inevitable fate. But it had only made matters worse, and the slaughter that stretched out before him confirmed that. Bodies or body parts were strewn across the sacrificial table and floor. Blood covered the robes of all those who had taken part in the massacre, including Draco's. They all had had to be murdered, assassinated, slaughtered and the Lord had made sure his newest Death Eater had taken part. Voldemort had specifically ordered him to 'finish them off' and it was that particular order that angered Draco more than anything else.

_He can't even finish his own dirty work! He needs someone else to kill his prey once he's done playing with it._

Sure, they were Muggles and they deserved no pity, but all these sacrificial ceremonies meant bullshit to him. There was no pleasure in torturing and slaughtering random Muggles. Of course, Draco had been taught to hate them, and he was glad to get rid of some over protected bunch of idiots. They had to die; so be it. But there was no need for pleasure during the massacre. Draco secretly thought the Dark Lord's killings were simply degrading for Pureblood wizards.

Disgusted at the hideous sight of the dead Muggles, Draco looked up at his father, who was now in deep conversation with the Dark Lord. Lucius had looked down approvingly at his son after he had killed the Muggle husband, still alive after hours of torture. This had only increased Draco's feeling of disgust with the Dark Lord, with his father, and also with himself.

Leaning against a pillar, standing aside from the other Death Eaters, who he loathed just as much as Voldemort himself, Draco awaited his next orders whilst carefully listening to the conversation behind him. As always Voldemort sat menacingly on his black throne at one end of the hall whilst Lucius loitered continuously by his side.

"Tell me about the wizard, Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed.

Draco listened as his father's voice became uneasy. "Everything is going according to the plan, my Lord."

"Has he revealed anything yet?"

Lucius paused. "No, my Lord."

The hall became deathly silent as Voldemort's shrill shriek caught every Death Eater's attention. "That's not good enough you imbecile!"

He then turned to the Slytherin Prince. "Draco!"

"My Lord," Draco barely answered from his pillar.

"You shall hurry with the heir by all means. I want results and my patience has limits!" His beady red eyes were fixed intently on Draco, but the Malfoy heir did not flinch.

"Whatever my Lord wishes."

**********..~**~..**

* * *

Stripping off his black robes, revealing black trousers and shirt, Draco walked into the castle and straight for his room. He called out the password to the Head quarters, entering the common room and hurrying for the bathroom before Granger woke up and caught him. There would be some awkward questions if she realised he had been out all night, and although he could handle the Mudblood, he didn't relish the idea of Dumbledore catching wind of his nighttime expeditions.

Twenty minutes later, stepping out of the shower and into the steamy bathroom, Draco wiped the condensation off the mirror and looked intently at his own reflection. Although his soul had been considerably tainted the previous night, his pale white flawless skin seemed to shine after being washed. Merlin, he truly was a living paradox.

But he could not forget the Dark Lord's words. He needed to hurry up and discover more about the Serpent books for Voldemort - no, not for Voldemort - for himself. If Abigail Serpent became his ally, and her knowledge was indeed as great as the history books assured him, then nothing could possibly stop Draco from gaining incredible power. He would no longer need to grovel at Voldemort's feet or silently accept his father's punishments. He would be his own master, do whatever he pleased, and kill all those in his way.

But for that he needed to cautiously plan his next encounters with Abigail and gain her trust.

Lost in his thoughts he was caught off guard when Granger suddenly stepped inside the bathroom. Draco spun around to face her; he was still naked. He silently kicked himself for not having a towel around his waist, but soon changed his mind as he saw Granger's shocked expression. It was priceless and well worth the embarrassment.

"Like what you see?" he drawled at her with a faint smirk.

Blushing furiously the Gryffindor bolted out of the bathroom, muttering "sorry" as she left.

Draco finally grabbed a towel and once he was ready, he gathered his belongings and left the bathroom as well. She was waiting outside, lost in her thoughts, as he came out and brushed past her, heading for his room. He saw her collect herself and disappear inside the bathroom through the steam that was creeping into the common room through the open door.

Smirking to himself, Draco threw his things on his bed and then frowned as he suddenly realised that something was missing.

His robes.

"Malfoy! You forgot your -" He heard Granger's voice loud and clear from the bathroom. However, she didn't finish her sentence.

Storming out of his room, across the common room and into the bathroom, Draco stopped only inches away from her as she held out his robes, her eyes fixed on the blood stains.

"Is that - blood?" she asked in a whisper.

Angry with himself he snatched the robes from her. "Good thing you're smart Granger!"

**********..~**~..**

* * *

Draco quickly descended the flights of stairs leading to the Great Hall. How foolish he had been! Granger was bound to relay everything she had seen to Dumbledore and then he would have to explain himself to the old man, or, even worse, he'd get expelled. Cursing himself once more the blond haired Slytherin reached the portrait of the Black Knight, a favourite meeting place of his, where he stopped and looked around.

Withdrawing back into a dark corner he waited impatiently for a brunette Slytherin to join him.

Pansy.

"Where were you?" he barked at her when she finally reached the portrait. She was late, and Draco didn't appreciate being kept waiting.

"I ran into Filch," she answered breathlessly.

His eyes narrowed to silver slits. "Don't lie to me Pansy."

She smirked at him. "I was - occupied with someone else."

She really had become a whore since they had broken up last year. "Did you do as I asked you to?"

"Of course," she said, stepping closer to him. "Here." She handed him a bunch of letters. Abigail's letters.

"She ripped some up, but I managed to fix them with a simple _Reparo_ spell," she informed him. However, she pulled them away from Draco's reach before he could take them and then stepped closer to him.

"Not so fast Draco! Don't I get a reward for all this good work?" she purred in his ear, teasingly.

"Not now, Pansy," he replied bluntly. He really didn't have time for her games, and didn't feel the need to hide his disgust for her. Hearing his answer she stopped massaging his arm and pouted her lips in what Draco thought was a very vulgar manner.

"What's up with you? You've been in a foul mood ever since the start of school! Where's the fun Draco I knew? The one who never said 'no' to the occasional shag?"

"The 'fun' Draco, as you say, has more important things to do," he replied icily.

"Fine," she replied casually, the tip of her fingers lingering down his chest. "Then I guess I won't tell you who I accidentally saw Abigail become friends with the other day."

Draco's ears perked up at her words – he knew that Pansy spent a good deal of her time lurking in dark corners spying on others, and she often had some good information - but his face remained expressionless. "And this will interest me because..."

"Because if you don't want the info, then I'm sure it will interest some other Slytherin only too keen to exploit it and punish the bitch," Pansy spat back at him dangerously.

"Blaise."

"Correct."

Looking into her fiery brown eyes, Draco smirked. "Well I guess I'll just have to make you tell me first."

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her fervently. Smiling under his lips, Pansy grabbed Malfoy equally and dragged him into the nearby broom closet.

A pair of blue eyes continued to watch the scene in disgust as the couple disappeared into the small room.

**********..~**~..**

* * *

_Potter!_

Ten minutes later Draco was in the library, skipping breakfast and reading Abigail's letters, but his mind was elsewhere. How could she become friends with Potter? Surely Pansy had misunderstood what she had seen, which wouldn't really surprise him. Still, it was good to know these things.

The letters proved quite an interesting read as Draco realised that the wizard imprisoned at Malfoy Manor was none other than Abigail's father. But that was not all.

_So she thinks I'm a sadistic bastard?_

Well, it was too bad she blindly did what her father told her, according to what Blaise had told him about her. Now she would have to accept Draco's friendship whether she liked him or not. When lunch finally came Draco realised that this was his chance to meet up with Serpent. As he was about to enter the castle he caught sight of her outside in the grounds, sitting on the rocks by the lake. Her long dark hair gleamed in the sunlight and her tanned skin seemed only too pleased it was such a bright and sunny day.

As he approached her Draco noticed something else. It was her bony arms and thin face. Abigail was incredibly skinny, as if she were sick, but due to her large school robes, he had never noticed before. Had she always been so thin? He couldn't remember. Preparing himself for the encounter Draco stepped up onto the rocks next to Abigail, startling her in the process. She was listening to music. Muggle stuff.

"Hello."

Nearly falling off the rock she was sitting on, she hastily turned off her music. "Malfoy! Merlin, you scared me."

Draco grinned devilishly back at her. "There's no need to be afraid of me. Are you expecting anyone? Because I need to talk to you. Then again, everybody knows that Zabini and you aren't an item anymore... so who could you possibly be expecting?"

He paused dramatically.

"Potter, maybe?"

Abigail glared back at him, but watched as Draco's white-blond hair shone incredibly bright as the sun's rays bounced off it. His stunning good looks were mesmerizing.

"I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy," she answered quickly, looking back at the lake. "And for your information, no, I'm not expecting anybody."

_Even better._

"What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"As I told you, I need to talk to you," he replied casually, "I heard your father wants you and I to become better acquainted."

Her eyes undoubtedly narrowed at his words. "How do you -"

"My father told me," Draco answered instantly. He couldn't have her suspecting that he had read her letters, or else his chances would be null. Luckily for him she seemed convinced by his answer. He stepped closer to her, facing her back and confidently clasped a hand around her shoulder as he continued.

"And I think you and I can become very close Abigail."

He felt her shiver at his touch. He knew that she felt uneasy by his sudden closeness, but he also knew that she liked it. Although her voice sounded distant and cold, he knew her body would respond to him. However, she quickly stood up and shrugged him off her. Gaining her trust was proving more difficult than he had previously thought. Any other girl at Hogwarts would have been delighted by his charming attention, although he could name of few exceptions, such as Granger.

Far from giving up, Draco stepped forward and took her by the shoulders, looking deep down into her dark eyes, almost trying to hypnotise her.

"Think about it," he urged her, "think about who I am and what I can offer you. Your father is no fool when he said he wanted us to be friends. Of course he wants what's best for his daughter, and I can give you that."

Her eyes dropped to the ground in discomfort as he leaned even closer, but he would not let her refuse him. It was now all too obvious the effect he was having on her – her skin was beginning to flush, and her lips were quivering with anticipation of where this might lead. Lifting her chin up gently with his hand, Draco's silver steel eyes continued to bore into hers.

"This is your chance to have everything you've ever wanted, everything you've ever desired - " his voice dropped lower, "including me."

But she did not seem to have heard this last part and appeared to have almost forgotten about him entirely for a second; she was so lost in her thoughts. Draco was confused by her lack of interest, and whilst he did not let it show, he could feel some panic rising in his stomach. Was she actually going to resist him?

Finally she spoke up. "And does this offer extend to the Muggle world?"

She paused.

"Actually, scratch that, do you have any influence over the Ministry of Magic?"

Her eyes suddenly seemed to sparkle. Draco let go of her, smiling to himself - she was so naive.

"It depends," he answered, intrigued. "What would you ask from me?"

She sat back down on the rock, refusing to meet his eyes. He could sense that they were coming to the crux of their relationship. If she confided in him now, she would be his forever.

"Well my mother - my mother is very sick and she's stuck in this Muggle hospital in London. The Ministry won't let her out or even let her change to St Mungo's. We've tried everything, appealing to them several times but apparently, there's nothing my father can do but -"

She turned around to Malfoy, who stood patiently by her side, masking his satisfaction. She smiled at him as she continued. "But maybe, if you could talk to them, persuade them, then -"

But her voice dropped, as she seemed to realise exactly who she was asking help from. Draco Malfoy - a Death Eater. She stood up and shot him a cold glare, one of disgust, but on the other hand, Draco suddenly realised just how close she was to him.

"Then, what would I have to do?" she inquired in a dangerous tone. "Grovel at Voldemort's feet, become some sort of junior Death Eater or something?"

"No," he answered truthfully, "being in my debt doesn't necessarily mean being in his. You would have to become _my_ ally, teach me your magical knowledge and, maybe, you could become much more."

Draco leaned in towards her but was caught by surprise when Abigail was the first to crush her lips onto his fervently. Smirking inwardly, Draco responded. It was all too easy; once he managed to kiss a girl he usually had her in the palm of his hand.

But Abigail quickly pulled away. "No, this is wrong!" she breathed out. "I can't do this."

She stepped away from him, turning to gather her belongings, which were scattered among the rocks, and hurried back towards the castle before Draco could stop her. Left alone, he laughed softly. He was surprised by her reaction, but it hadn't gone so badly after all. She had admitted that there was something he could do for her, and he would do it, even without a precise agreement. Then she would be indebted to him, whether she wished to be or not.

**********..~**~..**

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"You're late Granger!" Snape announced, as she walked into the classroom.

Draco looked up from his desk and smirked at her.

"Sorry, Professor, I -" Granger started.

"Spare me the pitiful excuses Miss Granger! I have no time for them. Indeed, I will be in my office working, whilst you are in detention. I shall be back in four hours, at which time I expect to find a perfectly completed potion on my desk."

And with a swish of his robes Snape strode out of the classroom and was out of sight. Draco, however, knew better. He had purposely asked his teacher, and fellow Death Eater, not to be present during their detention. He had other plans for those four long hours.

Therefore, as soon as the professor left, Draco picked up his stuff and headed for the door.

"See you in two hours, Mudblood," he called out as he reached to open the door.

But Granger was quicker. "_Colloportus!_" she cast, effectively locking the classroom door.

Draco spun around, annoyed. "Granger, open the door."

"Excuse me?" she answered, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Like I said, I'll be back in two hours. That gives you enough time to do the Animagus potion," he said coolly.

"And where the hell will you be during that time?" she inquired, equally annoyed.

He opened the door with a simple spell and then answered her question. "That's strictly none of your business. Now get to work."

Before she could disagree he was out of view, although he clearly heard her call, "stupid ferret" as he hurried down the corridor.

**********..~**~..**

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**Read and review! Its all I wish for and it makes me happy and want to update quicker!**

**Next chapter, Hermione's POV. Malfoy does come back and that gives them a whole lot of time together. I promise there will be romance though its never that easy between the Slytherin and Gryffindor. I'm off now, need to get some dinner! Muchos kudos!**


	8. Confrontation

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! Thank you SO much for the reviews. I will really need your opinion on this chapter! **

**Oh, there's a change in the middle of the chappie from HG to DM. and ****I've changed the rating to PG-13, but it will go up soon. There's just no need to put R rating yet...**

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Chapter 8

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Two hours later, Draco returned. Strangely enough, the first thing Hermione thought when she saw him again was not how angry she was with him for burdening her with all that work, but how his platinum blond hair was gleaming in the moonlight.

She had worked hard on the potion during those solitary hours in the dungeon. But part of her mind had wandered during all that time, dwelling on the recent events; the kiss with Malfoy in their dorm, her encounter with him this morning, her conversation with Ginny after breakfast.

**********..~**~..**

Hermione had spent breakfast avoiding a certain Slytherin's gaze. What was going to happen to her tonight? She had discovered Malfoy's robes full of blood, after all, and he certainly didn't feel happy about it. But other images trotted through her head. Those of a naked Malfoy...

"Okay, who? What? And how?" Ginny asked her, as they both walked out of the Great Hall.

"Ginny, what -?"

"Oh come on Hermione! The grin on your face, it's like you've been hexed or something. There's got to be a guy behind all this, so tell me everything!" the red-head argued.

"Ginny, there is no way I'm telling you! You never keep your mouth shut!" Hermione laughed.

"Hermoine, pleeeeease!"

"Alright but this time, you KEEP YOUR BIG MOUTH SHUT!" the seventh-year said in a loud whisper. She grabbed Ginny's hand and took a different turn to lose the crowd of students. When she judged that no one could hear them, Hermione told Ginny about the bathroom incident the same morning, leaving out the bloody robes.

Hermione never was the kind to divulge her feelings like this, but this was something completely new for her, and she thought she might explode if she didn't tell someone! She certainly couldn't tell Ron or Harry. Ginny was her closest girl friend and the only one she could talk to.

Ginny's eyes opened wide as she listened carefully to Hermione. "Oh Merlin! You saw Malfoy NAKED!"

Hermione shushed her friend and blushed again against her will.

"You have got to tell me everything," Ginny said excitedly. "Hermione, he's the most wanted guy at Hogwarts. He's like a sex god, girls are crazy about him and YOU saw him NA -"

"Yes, I think I got the point, Gin," Hermione said laughing softly. "Merlin, why am I telling you this?"

Ginny's face fell at her words. "You mean you weren't going to tell me? Hermione, this is vital information!"

Ginny could be shallow at times, but Hermione nodded at her friend and willingly told her everything she wanted to know. It was just the sort of girlish indulgence she needed to take her mind off her fear of Malfoy.

**********..~**~..**

As she watched the Slytherin strut into the classroom, she also remembered her conversation with Ron. It had been strange at the time, but seeing Malfoy's assurance and the glares he sent her, Hermione began to understand Ron's concern.

**********..~**~..**

"Ron, you don't need to accompany me all the way there! I know my way perfectly well," Hermione had complained for the tenth time.

"I know 'Mione," he had answered hesitantly, "but well, I just wanted to make sure that stupid Malferret doesn't meet you before."

"It'd be rather surprising considering that I'm late," she said coldly. Indeed, Ron had insisted that they take a longer route to the dungeons, just in case.

They walked in silence until they reached the flight of stairs leading to the dungeon classrooms. Hermione muttered a quick goodbye and started down the stairs, but Ron had called after her.

"Hermione wait! There's something you need to know!" he had said urgently. His blue eyes peered deeply into hers as he stepped closer to her.

For a moment she was confused - why was Ron keeping her waiting? Why had they suddenly become uncomfortable with each other?

"Ron, I don't have much time -"

"Hermione, please take care of yourself!" he blurted out suddenly. "I don't think I could take it if anything happened to you."

His cheeks quickly became red and Hermione felt her own change colour at Ron's words. His eyes, however, expressed something else. Compassion, maybe? Friendship - or love? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that Ron cared about her and somehow, he knew she was in trouble with Malfoy.

"Ron, please don't worry about me. And please don't say anything to Harry. He really doesn't need the extra stress. I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed him on the cheek lightly and ran down the stairs, more anxious about her detention than Ron's concerns.

**********..~**~..**

Malfoy looked up at Snape's desk and nodded approvingly as he saw two samples of the potion standing on top. It annoyed her even more the way he was judging her own work.

_What a pretentious git! Why am I even bothering with this guy?_

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking back at him sternly.

"So, where were you?" she asked him crossly. "You left me to prepare that potion by myself and now you're inspecting my work? Who do you think you are?"

"A Malfoy."

She narrowed her eyes at him. She hated it when he used his family name like that, as if he owned everything - and everyone.

"I can't believe you sometimes!" Hermione burst out in exasperation. "Fine, after all, I really don't give a damn where you were these past two hours! I'm not your mum!"

He laughed lightly at her words and leaned against the wall. He propped a leg up and crossed his arms over his chest nonchalantly.

"Good," he said, "because where I was is still none of your business!"

"Fine!" she shouted back. God, why was she shouting already? How did he get her worked up like this so easily? And why did he need to take his cloak off and show off his body in that black shirt?

She had noticed that her temper always got a little more out of control when Malfoy was around. Why was he so damn good-looking?

_Stop it! Don't go there! Remember who he is! _

But her body didn't seem to care when he was around. Hermione knew she had to regain control of the conversation or her temper would only get worse. It was time to get some answers one way or another.

She sat down quietly at a desk and turned to face him. "So, did you use a healing spell on yourself?" She thought a radical change of tactic might be in order.

"What makes you say that?" he answered with a question, his steel grey eyes revealing nothing.

"Well, your robes were stained with blood this morning and as you obviously have no cuts on yourself, I simply guessed..."

"That the blood was mine?" he inquired amused. "But how do you know it wasn't somebody else's?" His voice had become darker and he moved slowly towards her as he spoke. "A Muggle's for example?"

Hermione couldn't help her gasp as she heard him speak and cursed under her breath. The harsh truth dawned upon her. He was a murderer now, he had to be, he was a Death Eater after all!

"Doesn't mean I'm a murderer," said Malfoy, as if he had read her mind, "or maybe I am. What do you think?"

"Who? Why?" Those were the only words that came out of Hermione's mouth. Millions of unanswered questions whizzed through her mind as Malfoy's words hit her. If he had really killed a Muggle last night, did that mean he had killed others? Was she in danger? Dumbledore did warn her against him, but still...

Malfoy stopped at her questions. His gray gaze darkened considerably. His fists clenched and unclenched as he spoke.

"You see, my dear Granger, that, once again, is strictly none of your business," he hissed at her. Seeing Hermione's pained face, he smirked at her and lifted her chin. "What do you think? That I'm suddenly going to reveal all my deepest darkest secrets to you, a pathetic Mudblood know-it-all, a well-known member of Dumbledore's little gang and Weasel's worthless whore!"

His cold voice had turned into a shout, but even then he still seemed in control. However, his expression soon changed from a smirk into confusion as Hermione slowly stood up, pointing her wand at him. Her pained light brown eyes betrayed her heightened emotional state, and she was angrier than Draco had ever seen her before.

"How dare you?" she shouted back at the Slytherin Prince. She stood mere inches from him, threatening him with her wand, but he did not flinch at her words, although he could tell that it would take much before he was seriously cursed. "How dare you call me that after all we've been through? I always thought you had more respect for me than that Draco, especially after the other night when you kissed me! How could you say this to me? You sly, evil bastard! _Expelliarmus!_"

Tears were falling from her eyes, but she didn't care. She had watched as Malfoy looked up surprised when she spoke. Was it because she had called him Draco? Was it because her words actually affected him? She didn't care anymore, she wanted to hurt the bastard, make him suffer like she had.

But he didn't. Nothing happened. At least not what she had expected. Malfoy hardly took a couple of steps backwards after she had shouted her curse. What had happened? Hadn't she hit him squarely in the chest? Surely she hadn't missed...

"Come on Granger! You know it takes more than that to hurt me now," he replied calmly, referring to his Death Eater training. "I believe it's my turn now. _Expelliarmus!_"

His curse sent her flying backwards into the wall. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the incredible pain that shot through her head as it hit the stone wall.

**********..~**~..**

Triumph flared up in Draco's eyes as he watched Granger's body hit the hard floor after crashing into the wall. She was going to be extremely angry when she got up. But Draco didn't care anymore; he was ready for her. He had had enough of the Mudblood trying to get in his way, in between him and his destiny.

_Merlin, when she gets up, she'll finally fucking understand what I've been telling her all this time! She'll understand who I am! When she gets up..._

But Granger still did not move. Her body seemed lifeless against the cold floor, her eyes were closed and her face had gone incredibly pale. Malfoy's face turned the same colour and his triumphant gaze vanished as he realised what he had done.

"Granger! Hermione!" He rushed to her and touched her face gently. Her skin was ice cold. Without thinking, he picked her up in his arms and laid her down on a nearby table.

"Hermione, Hermione, can you hear me? Hermione, wake up!" Draco shouted desperately. If she didn't wake up soon, he'd have to take her to the hospital wing. What would he say to Pomfrey? What would Snape say - and Dumbledore?

But Draco didn't have time to think of the consequences as Hermione stirred under him. He pulled her up in his arms, helping her to gain consciousness.

**********..~**~..**

As Hermione opened her eyes, she instantly regretted it. Pain ran through her head, causing her to feel dizzy and very faint. It took her a few moments to realise where she was and what had happened.

"Draco -" she said faintly, staring at him.

"Shit, are you okay? Are you badly hurt?" he cut in, distressed. He helped her up in a sitting position and waited for her to regain full consciousness.

"I think it's just my head," answered Hermione, touching the back of her skull. "It hurts like hell."

"Come on. I'll get you to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey better examine it."

Hermione watched as he put an arm around her waist, ready to carry her there.

"It's okay, I don't need to go. I think I just need to sit down," she said, gladly accepting Malfoy's offer to help her to the chair.

But as she got up, the room began to swing around her and she felt very faint again. Sensing her weak in his arms, Draco quickly sat her down and kneeled in front of her, with genuine concern in his face.

"I'm sorry, Granger. I didn't mean to hurt you like that. It's just when I'm with you, I - you make me lose my temper so damn quickly!" he said truthfully.

Hermione blinked her eyes twice and her jaw dropped open. "Draco, did you just say that you were sorry? To me? You've just attacked me and now you're apologising?"

"Like I said," he answered calmly, standing up, "I lose control over myself when I'm with you." His eyes averted the soft chocolate-brown gaze Hermione sent him.

Was he finally going to confess his hidden feelings for her or did she just seriously piss him off? But Hermione knew within herself that Malfoy did have affection for her, whether it was love or not. Last year had proved it to her and never before had she seen him lose control like that when she had argued with him.

An unbearable silence followed Malfoy's last words. Sensing the unease between them, he added. "But that is the first and last time you will hear me say sorry to you, Granger."

Hermione's face fell at his cold words. "So we're back to calling each other by our last names," she stated plainly. She said it more to herself than to him.

"What do you mean?" He arched his eyebrow in amusement. "When did it ever change?"

"I mean, that you still won't admit it," Hermione continued as she stood up, grasping the table for help, refusing his outstretched hand.

"Admit what?" He demanded, rising to his feet again.

"You're feelings for me!" she cried out.

Still amused, Draco chuckled and nodded his head, although his clouded grey eyes avoided hers. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No."

"You know, you must have received a bigger hit on the head than I thought, Granger -" he started, turning his back to Hermione, but this only worked to her advantage, making it easier for her to surprise him.

Grabbing his arm, she swung Draco around to face her and kissed him. Hermione didn't know what possessed her at that exact moment, but her lips came crashing onto his. She kissed him hungrily, wanting to awaken the hidden emotions inside his cold heart. Before she knew it, his soft lips were kissing her back.

After several moments, she broke away.

"Don't tell me that you still felt nothing?" she asked breathlessly.

Her answer came when Malfoy roughly pulled her against him and kissed her again. His arms made their way to her waist, pulling her closer to him, whilst hers were around his neck. Her body quickly gave in to him and her lips soon parted, granting entrance to his tongue, which glided across hers. Hermione felt weak in the knees and she moaned unwillingly against his lips as the kiss deepened becoming more lustful, more passionate.

Suddenly, Malfoy quickly broke away before she felt herself lose all control. They both breathed heavily, eyeing each other in silence.

"What do you want from me?" he finally asked, looking confused.

His silver grey eyes had softened, but his face remained expressionless, as always. "I want you to stop lying to yourself," she pleaded.

He nervously ran his hand through his blond hair, causing random strands to fall back in his eyes. "Hermione, I -"

But she cut in before she heard his excuses. "You care about me Draco, just admit it already!" she cried out.

"You're out of your mind!" he shouted back at her, his arms waving out in frustration. "You're living in a fantasy world, Hermione! Things aren't all rainbows and butterflies here! In the real world, I'm a Death Eater and you're a Mudblood!"

Seeing her shocked face didn't seem to help his anger.

"What did you expect; you're scum to me! You shouldn't be telling me these things! You can't argue with me like before! Merlin, you're in danger around me!" he announced, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Don't you understand?"

Tears rolled down Hermione's cheeks as she took in each and every word he had said to her. There was nothing more she could do now. She had used every possible idea she had to make him realise that being a Death Eater wasn't him. Following his father's footsteps wasn't him. Denying his feelings for her wasn't the Draco Malfoy she had known. No, her Draco Malfoy would have fought against the system for his love, he would have told his father to go to hell before becoming a Death Eater, but that didn't mean he would have joined Dumbledore. No, he surely would have said the same thing to him too and gone alone.

"We have nothing more to do with each other except for Head duties," he told her, letting go. "Do I make myself clear?"

Hermione nodded and looked for the last time into his now hardened steel-grey eyes.

"This aching won't stop," she cried deadpanned, still peering into his eyes.

He looked away hurriedly, turning his back to her, as he gathered his stuff. He seemed to want to flee her as quickly as possible. "You should get something for your head."

"I'm not talking about my head," she barely whispered.

Picking up her bag swiftly, Hermione ran out of the classroom, almost knocking over Snape at the door, who was returning early.

"Miss Granger, where do you think you are going?" he snapped at her fleeing form.

But Hermione didn't care. He could take away as many points as he wanted from Gryffindor, she wouldn't turn back; she couldn't turn back. She had already been broken down enough for the day to last a century.

"Let her go, Snape," Malfoy urged his Head of House.

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**Review this way please :) ... Tell me everything, the good, the bad, ...**


	9. Bad Combination

Chapter 9

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Abigail came down from her dormitory, her arms full of books, ready to start her Potions essay. It was her least favourite subject and so she needed to concentrate even harder on it. She much preferred Care of Magical Creatures; her favourite subject. She loved learning about all sorts of animals, whether magical or not and didn't give a toss about Calming Draughts or Murtlap Essence. However, she had no choice but to keep up Potions, since Snape was her Head of House and he expected her to do so.

She sat down at one of the desks in the common room and opened her copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_. Few Slytherins were around that morning; most were already in the Great Hall for breakfast, whilst the others were still asleep. When she awoke Abigail had received yet another letter from her father, informing her that he had extended his stay with the Malfoys several more weeks in order to meet up with old acquaintances and deal with important business. The letter had not helped Abigail's mood, and she was determined to rescue her father from Lucius Malfoy's claws as soon as she could leave Hogwarts.

Caught up with her essay, Abigail did not hear the common room door swing open, nor see two particular seventh-year Slytherins enter. She eventually looked up as she heard their voices, only to find the worst combination of Slytherins before her; Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

Although both guys were good-looking, the richest heirs of the wizarding world and could practically get any girl they wanted; they could also be selfish, arrogant and generally behaved like Pureblooded brats. Abigail's previous encounters with Malfoy had proved her point more than once, and as for Zabini - well Blaise, it was different. He was her ex-boyfriend after all, but somehow he was even worse as he constantly used to look up to Malfoy, his role model. This year, however, Blaise seemed to have detached himself of the Slytherin Prince, having gained his own share of power and fear, only to become a git according to Abigail. It was partly the reason why she had broken up with him last year.

Together the two boys surpassed all levels of malice, evil and arrogance Hogwarts had ever known.

She watched discreetly as they noticed her presence and Blaise gestured for Malfoy to leave them. With a wink Malfoy walked back out of the Sytherin common room, leaving her alone with Blaise.

_Oh Merlin! What am I going to say to him?_

Abigail hadn't spoken to Blaise properly since they had broken up. She had avoided him at all costs since the beginning of the year. But this time, he seemed determined to confront her.

"Abby," he greeted her, walking up behind her. She merely waved at him from her desk, not bothering to face him. "How's my favourite girl doing?"

She swallowed hard as his overpowering cologne reached her nose and his body stopped mere inches away from her. She could feel his warmth behind her and concentrated even harder on a particular book she had just picked up.

"I'm fine. Just trying to finish this stupid essay -"

"Sure," he butt in, looking over her shoulder, trying to see her face.

_Right! Thanks for offering your help Blaise!_

But all unwelcoming thoughts left Abigail's mind as she saw him, from the corner of her eye, bend closer to her, causing his dark hair to brush against her cheek. She shivered as his own cheek brushed against her ear and his thin lips came closer to her neck.

Memories of last year, when they were still a couple, came flooding back into her mind as he started kissing her neck tenderly, in all the right places.

"You look tense babe," he murmured between two kisses. "Maybe I could help you relax a little." He continued his trail of pleasure down her neck, back to ear, nibbling it a bit. Abigail gripped her book harder as she sensed his breath on her face, but quickly snapped out of it. She pulled her head to the side, avoiding his lips and put a hand on his chest.

"Don't!" she ordered him quietly. "We're not together anymore, remember?"

In all honesty, Abigail was being a hypocrite. She might think Blaise was an idiot and claim that she couldn't stand him anymore, but it was only to hide her feelings better. He still made her weak at the knees and made her heart beat faster every time she saw handsome figure. But she couldn't admit that to him - she didn't like his new attitude since the beginning of the year - she didn't like how he scared most of the students and often got into fights with Gryffindors - she didn't like what he had become: Malfoy's right-hand man.

"Don't you have anything better to do than keeping me from doing my essay?" she asked him sharply. It was the only way to make him go away.

He shrugged. "Not really."

"Really? What about shagging Pansy, for example?" she muttered, whilst pretending to have a sudden interest in her Potions textbook.

Unfortunately, he had heard her.

"Jealous, are you?" Blaise arched his eyebrow at her, his blue eyes sparkling with malice.

"What?" she retorted, turning on her chair to face him. "Me, jealous of Pansy Parkinslut? Not bloody likely!"

"Sure Abby, sure," he replied smirking, closing in on her. He took her hand in his own and pressed it against him, causing her to stand up.

"No, seriously stop," Abby said, pushing him back.

"Why? Do you hate me now?" he asked softly. He lifted her chin up with his index finger, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"No, I - I don't hate you, Blaise," she replied quietly. His clear blue eyes were piercing through her own, sending her all kind of emotions. How could she resist him? Most girls would have done anything to be with him! Merlin, why had she broken up with him? The answers to her questions seemed to vanish inside her mind as she kept looking into his deep blue eyes.

"Then what's the matter? Why are you acting so strangely?" he asked, his voice turning cold. "Damn it Abby! I even found out that it was you who stood up to Draco in the Hog's Head!"

He paused, his hand on her waist holding her in place as he glanced at her shrewdly.

"That wasn't very - Slytherin of you," he finished quietly.

Scowling, Abigail turned away and sat back down angrily at her desk. "Oh right, I'm sorry! Maybe I should dye my hair green and silver to show you that I do belong here!"

The moment was lost and suddenly all the reasons why Abigail had kept far away from him came flooding back in her mind. She turned back to her books. "Just leave me alone Blaise."

But he did not comply and instead leaned over her once again, gripping her shoulders and clearly whispered in her ear. "I think you're forgetting something... what Blaise Zabini wants, Blaise Zabini gets."

_Merlin's beard, did he actually say that? What an arrogant prat!_

Resisting the urge to hex him, Abigail slammed her book shut instead. She quickly got up and gathered her stuff. She wasn't going to spend another second talking to him if he was going to be so full of himself.

"For the love of Salazar, grow up Blaise! We're over, it's finished. You've had all summer to realise it. I don't belong to you anymore! I have an essay to finish, so if you don't mind, I'm going to leave now!" she cried out, walking over to the door.

She noticed that his eyes were flashing angrily at her now. He wasn't used to people standing up to him, and he hated it, especially when it came to girls.

"And didn't you steal that last line from Malfoy?" she asked scornfully, as she stepped out of the Slytherin common room.

Furious with her, Blaise picked up an abandoned glass on the desk and flung it across the room, into the wall.

"Fuck!"

**************..~**~..**

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Abigail made her way down to the library and sat in a corner, far away from the other students who were around. She started opening her books when suddenly she heard voices coming from behind the bookshelf.

"But why are you acting like this?"

_Merlin! Can't I get any peace and quiet even in the library!_

But curiosity got the better of her and she approached the bookshelf, spying between the books. Behind it sat Granger, Ginny and Harry Potter.

Granger seemed extremely pissed off at them for some reason. "Harry, it's none of your business, okay? So drop it!"

Her cold glare would have stopped anybody else from asking more questions, but Harry didn't seem to care. "Hermione, I'm your best friend. You can tell me everything, you know that."

Granger seemed surprised by his words. Abigail had the same reaction. This wasn't the shy and unconfident Harry she had met a few nights before.

"But this time it's different, okay?" she said more softly. "Look, let's change subject - Ron told me that you met _a girl_ during detention..."

Abigail froze.

"How did that happen?" Ginny asked excitedly. "Tell me everything."

Harry turned red at their questions. "Yeah, I met this really nice girl. We chatted for practically three hours non-stop and I think you guys know her. Her name's Abigail."

Abigail watched as Granger turned a couple of shades paler, whilst Ginny looked at Harry confused.

"I asked her if she wanted to meet up tonight and watch the Quidditch practice."

Before Granger could open her mouth, Ginny did. "Harry that's brilliant! Wow, Abby's sooo lucky! First Blaise Zabini and now Harry! - I mean, how on earth -"

"Zabini?" Harry asked puzzled.

"Harry, Abigail's a bit special," Granger continued, kicking Ginny discreetly under the table. "I don't think it's a good idea to invite her like that. You hardly even know her!"

"Yeah I guess," Harry said eyeing both his friends suspiciously, having felt the kick under the table. "I don't even know her last name or which house she's in; but I think she's a Ravenclaw."

Abigail snorted loudly at his last comment and fortunately they didn't notice. She really wouldn't want to get caught in this kind of situation.

"But I'm really glad to see her again tonight, she's interesting to talk to," he added. "But, how exactly do you guys know her?"

Abigail suddenly held her breath in. What if one of them spilled the beans? What if Granger admitted everything she knew?

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Ginny finally let out. "Harry, we -"

"Know nothing!" Granger continued loudly, staring dangerously at Ginny. "You'll just have to ask her yourself."

Harry continued to eye them, intrigued, knowing something was definitely going on. Ginny rolled her eyes at the other girl.

"Come on you two! We've got classes to attend and I don't want Snape on my back again," Ginny said picking up her bag.

Abigail turned away before they stood up, as it would only require a slight turn of the head for one of them to spy her through the stacks of books. In doing so she bumped straight into something hard, something standing right behind her.

"Spying on Potty and his friends?"

Out of all people in the library, it had to be...

"Malfoy! Where did you come from?" she muttered, pushing past him to return to her table, but he gripped her arm before she could.

"You didn't answer my question."

She wrenched her arm free from his grip. "Well, they were actually talking about -" she started, but stopped. Telling Malfoy that Harry was talking about her would piss him off. He didn't like Slytherins messing with Gryffindors. "Nothing. They weren't talking about anything interesting so that doesn't really count as spying."

She pushed her way past him and back to the table. "I was actually working on my essay. What are you doing here?"

He casually sat next to her. "Well, this is the library and I'm in my NEWTs year, the most important year at Hogwarts, so -"

"Yeah, I get it," she cut in. It was quite weird to be talking with Malfoy after her last encounter with him. What was she going to say to him now? But Abigail had no time to think about that. She had her essay to finish before the end of the day, and she hadn't even started. Snape was going to kill her!

Picking her book up from where she left it, she began studying again, chewing on her quill.

"Need any help with that?" Malfoy asked, taking a look at her essay question. "'The ten different uses of the moonstone in magic potions,'" he read out loud.

Abby scowled as he read it. She had no clue what a moonstone was and just couldn't be bothered to do this essay. "Are you any good at potions?"

Malfoy lifted his head up from her parchment and smirked at her. "Moonstones are very useful for Seers. They develop foresight and telepathic abilities within any wizard or witch, but they are very rare."

Abby smiled at him, taking notes as Malfoy continued speaking.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

"You've changed."

Malfoy looked up at Abigail, who had stopped writing. He had helped her out a lot and she had already written most of her essay. Unbelievably, she actually had a fun time with him, discovering just how good a student he was in potions.

"What do you mean?"

"You're less of an insufferable git," she answered bluntly, "you've matured."

Malfoy chuckled softly. "Thanks. But I was never an 'insufferable git' as you say," he answered haughtily.

"Excuse me? There are _so_ many examples of you being a stuck-up little shit that I don't even know where to start!"

"Go on then, I'm listening."

Abby narrowed her dark eyes at him. "Ok," she began. "To start with, how about the beginning of each year, when you used to show off what Daddy had bought for you during the summer - oh and how you purposely became Slytherin's Seeker just to annoy Harry Potter, or when you used to poke Granger and call her names every other minute and also how you'd always complain about Dumbledore and his choice of staff every chance you got! How you went to Daddy to get that Hippogriff killed in third year, how you sided with that horrible wench Umbridge in your fifth year. Oh, and how you always incessantly talked about your wealth and family bloodline and rubbed it in people's noses - oh and how you kept saying every female student craved after you, plus all that gel you put in your hair just because you thought it made you look cool -"

"Enough, enough!" Draco interrupted, getting the point. "But, don't you still love me for it?" he asked sneakily, grinning at her.

She rolled her eyes in response. "Merlin! You are unbelievable Malfoy!"

"I know," he said leaning back in his chair, "girls tell me that all the time."

Abby couldn't help but laugh. "That's not what I meant and you know it! I'm off to class now, I'll see you again once your ego deflates, which probably won't be any time soon."

She left the library quickly, not noticing Malfoy's smile fade away and his face become emotionless again once she was out of view.

Oh yes, he had her in the palm of his hand.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

As soon as classes were over, Abigail rushed to get changed before running outside towards the Quidditch pitch, meeting Harry there.

"Hey Abby! Glad you could make it!" he said to her, holding his Firebolt proudly.

"Likewise," she answered, sitting down on the spectator bench. "How was your day?"

"Okay I guess. I stayed out of trouble though," Harry answered, grinning at her. His green eyes were flashing vigorously as he spoke and he didn't seem as uneasy as before. However, before Abigail could answer him, Ron called Harry over from the centre of the field. Ginny was also among the team, but the red head didn't notice her.

"Sorry, gotta go. I'll talk to you afterwards, okay?" He secured his gloves around his wrists as he spoke and left hurriedly to join the rest of his team.

Ron winked at him and nodded towards Abigail as he stepped onto the Quidditch pitch.

The practice itself wasn't that bad. The team started warming up before mounting their brooms and circling the field. They were divided into two separate teams and played a friendly game against each other, whilst Harry practiced catching the Golden Snitch and avoiding Bludgers.

Abigail had a good time watching the Quidditch. She didn't know much about real Quiddditch in the wizarding world, rather preferring Muggle sports, but she was quite interested.

The practice was coming to an end and everything seemed to be going well until Abigail felt a presence behind her. She turned around and cursed under her breath as the Slytherin green and silver dressed Quidditch Captain stood before.

Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed at him, annoyed. She eyed the Quidditch pitch anxiously as the Gryffindor team landed on the ground.

"I'm here to practice. The rest of the team will be here soon."

He paused, looking up at the Gryffindor Quidditch team. "Question is: what are _you_ doing here?"

He gritted his teeth as he noticed Harry land ahead of them. "Come to cheer on 'the boy who just wouldn't die'?"

"No Malfoy, it's not what you think!"

But it was too late, Abigail watched helplessly as Harry himself came strolling down the field towards them, looking very angry and confused. He didn't seem very pleased... not pleased at all.

**************..~**~..**

Landing back on the field, Harry noticed his fellow Gryffindor, Dean Thomas looking worriedly at Abigail.

"What the hell is she doing here?" he finally asked Harry.

"I invited her to the practice," he answered casually, heading slowly back toward the changing rooms.

"Are you out of your mind? _You_ invited Abigail Serpent to our practice!" he cried out, waving his arms in the air. Most of the other Quidditch players had already left, but Harry spotted Ron taking care of some brooms, whilst eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Serpent? Is that her last name?" Harry inquired, suddenly uneasy about what he had done. That wasn't a good surname to have. "Hey, I only met her a few days ago!" he said defensively to Dean, who looked back at him dumbstruck.

Dean nodded his head at him. "Harry mate, trust me, she's got a pretty smile, but it's to cover up the poison that she hides behind!"

Harry shifted nervously as his friend spoke. "What do you mean?"

"Man, wake up! She's Blaise Zabini's ex-girlfriend and her name is Serpent. Surely you didn't think she was a Gryffindor!"

Dean's words cut deep and the truth finally seemed to hit Harry. They continued walking towards the bench in silence. Inside, however, Harry was fuming. How could he have been so blind?

Ron ran over to them as fast as he could, red in the face. "Isn't that Malfoy over there?"

Harry looked up and saw the Slytherin Prince himself standing next to Abigail. They were talking and from what he saw, she wasn't exactly telling him to sod off.

"Shit!" Dean called out. "This means trouble. Now she's going to tell him about our new moves!"

Ron's red face turned crimson as he heard Dean's words and doubled his efforts to reach the bench before Harry did.

"No, let me go alone! I won't be long," Harry cried out, walking out alone.

Ron stopped along with Dean and they stared at him incredulously as Harry continued to make his way to the benches.

**************..~**~.**.

Abigail paled as she saw Harry's angry eyes glare back at her.

"Malfoy, don't blow this for me!" she hissed quietly. "Please go away!"

But instead the blond-haired devil purposefully sat down on the bench beside her.

"Oh, I get it!" he sneered, watching the exchange. "You haven't told Golden Boy who you really are!"

Even from this distance Harry seemed to be fuming with rage. He probably thought she had been playing with him.

"Merlin Malfoy, just shut the fuck up, okay? Don't make matters worse!"

Again, he refused to do as he was told. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Abby," he whispered dangerously and spread his arm around her shoulders just as Harry stormed up to them.

"What the hell are you doing with _him_?" he bellowed at Abigail, eyeing Malfoy with disgust.

Just as she opened her mouth, Malfoy beat her to it. "Hello, Potter," he smirked smugly. "Let me introduce you to my friend."

"Malfoy -" Abigail protested, but he didn't let her finish.

"This is -"

"Abigail," Harry cut in. "I know, we've already met. So it's true! You're a -"

His disappointed look hurt more than anything Abigail had ever seen. For sure, he loathed her now. It was too late, being a Slytherin and in Malfoy's presence had ruined all her chances of becoming friends with the legendary Harry Potter. Not only that, but she had hurt him; the one she had actually wanted to help. She had thought maybe she could take that desperate look off his face, but instead, she had shattered the last of his confidence, and right under Malfoy's nose as well.

At that moment she could've cursed herself.

"Slytherin?" Malfoy hinted. He was taking pure pleasure out of Harry's pain. How could he be so cold hearted? "Of course! Why, didn't she tell you?"

Harry looked straight into Abigail's dark brown eyes. She felt as though he was piercing through her, increasing her guilt and making her feel his disappointment. She lowered her eyes in shame. How could she look him in the eyes with Malfoy cuddling her after what she had said about him to Harry?

"No," he barely whispered.

"Right, no need to get all emotional now, Potter. I'm sure your Weasel boyfriend can cheer you up tonight!" Malfoy said, highly amused.

Hearing his nasty comments, Abigail glared at him evilly and pushed herself away from him, making his arm fall from her shoulders. She remained silent waiting for Harry get his own back for what he'd said - he had never let Malfoy get away with his insults before. But Harry remained silent, preferring to ignore Malfoy or, more realistically perhaps, scared of confronting a Death Eater.

Abigail couldn't believe it - Harry Potter was actually letting Malfoy get away with his rude insults. Had he really lost all courage?

"Harry, this isn't what you think," she spoke up truthfully.

"Heard that one before," Malfoy mumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Abigail shoved him hard with her elbow and stood up ready to speak again, but Harry beat her to it.

"No, this is exactly what I think! So you were working for Malfoy all along, were you? Well, you did a great job Abigail Serpent!" His sarcasm seethed through every one of his words and they cut through her like a knife. "You did well, Serpent! Your little act could've fooled anybody you know! It certainly fooled me," he exclaimed, before turning his back to her and walking away.

Frustrated he wouldn't listen to her; Abigail stepped forward, wanting to catch him up. "Harry, wait! Let me explain -"

"Spare me the details, I don't want to hear anymore of your lies!" he shouted, his back turned to her.

His voice rang in her ears and she suddenly had the urge to run after him, explain everything clearly to him, tell him that she was sorry and apologise for Malfoy's behaviour. However, just as she meant to run after him, a rough hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back, away from Harry.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Malfoy asked her in a threatening tone.

She ignored him and continued to watch Harry's dark figure cross the pitch towards the changing rooms.

"Is everything alright, mate?" Ron asked cautiously.

"Everything is perfectly fucking fine!" Harry shouted back, tearing past him. "Let's go!"

They entered the Gryffindor locker rooms and disappeared behind the door. Hearing his shouts across the pitch, Abigail felt something happen that she had not experienced for a very long time. She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

_For fuck's sake, what's wrong with me? I shouldn't even care about Harry! Malfoy's right, he's a Gryffindor after all!_

But the tears wouldn't stop, and, although she had her back to Malfoy, she was sure he would soon notice that she was crying.

"What's going on here?" Abigail instantly recognised Blaise's voice, and she quickly wiped the tears off her face.

"Nothing!" she answered quickly. The last thing she needed was for Blaise to hear about Harry.

"What did they do?" he asked Malfoy angrily.

The blond Slytherin sat back down on the bench, nodding at Abigail. "Question is: what did _she_ do?"

He paused dramatically as Blaise raised an intrigued eyebrow at him.

"Our precious Abby seems to be warming up to a Gryffindor," he announced with disgust.

"WHAT? Who?" Blaise yelled furiously. His eyes turned a darker shade and his whole body tensed up with anger and hate. Everybody knew that Zabini loathed the 'brave and loyal' Gryffindors more than anybody else, and it was quite frightening at times. Abigail still remembered seeing him beat the crap out of Dean Thomas and how scared she was at the time. She had also heard about his encounter with Granger at the Hog's Head and how he had been the one to slap her and split her lip.

"Potter," Draco growled with a hatred that almost equalled Blaise's.

"What? That little piece of -"

"Blaise, he's just playing with you," Abigail cut in, beginning to fear his reaction and glaring back at Malfoy. "Of course it's not true! I was just messing with Potter. Now, would you two just leave me alone?"

Malfoy stopped her before she could run off. "Hold it, Serpent! I think you're forgetting who you're talking to. I don't ever want to see you around him again, got it? They are no weaknesses among the Slytherin."

His voice was low and dangerous.

"Now, after Quidditch practice, it's dinner time," he continued, "and you _will_ come and sit down with us, whether you like it or not, and Merlin help me if I see you sneaking glances at the Gryffindor table!"

His words infuriated her and for a second she wanted to hex him, but she knew it would only bring more trouble. However, she wasn't about to let him talk to her like that.

"You can't order me around Malfoy!"

"I bloody well can!" he yelled back at her before storming off to the pitch to meet the rest of the team.

His sudden temper scared her and she looked quite horror struck until Blaise put a reassuring arm around her and led her, almost against her will, back to the castle.

**************..~**~..**

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**Please review! :)**


	10. Sweet Revenge

**A/N: Hey I'm updating already! I got quite a few reviews last time and hope to get more and more as the chapters go on. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, everything belongs to JK Rowling except the characters that you do not recognise.**

**Special Announcement: This chapter is dedicated to Roguish Muse who guessed where my quote came from. It was from Lifehouse's album 'No Name Face'! Voila!**

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* * *

Chapter 10

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It was Saturday and Draco finally had time to put his plan into action. Taking a quill and parchment, he started writing to his contacts within the Ministry. He would transfer Abigail's mother into St Mungo's at all costs. It was the only way he could get her to side with him so she could teach him everything she knew. It would probably take a few weeks before her mother definitely left the Muggle hospital, so Malfoy preferred to keep it quiet, even to Abigail, until everything was completed. He never countenanced the idea of his plan failing, but still he was cautious enough to not risk public humiliation if the unthinkable should happen.

Still, it was going to prove even harder to gain her friendship now that she wouldn't talk to him anymore. Indeed, the Serpent heir had spent most of her time in her room since Draco had yelled at her. She had pointedly ignored him in corridors and spent as much time as she could with the Weasley girl, which pissed him off even more. He knew that the situation was at a critical point, and that he could easily lose her to those Gryffindor goody two-shoes if he wasn't careful.

She spent her dinners with Blaise and him, but she kept giving them evil glares, muttering under her breath. Potter had looked across at her sometimes, but then hastily turned back to his food when he caught Draco's eye instead. Even Granger had looked over to the Slytherin table, but he had purposely avoided her gaze. The girl just didn't learn, did she?

Being with Granger in the Heads' Quarters had been a living hell since the detention. She had constantly ignored him too. At first Draco was thrilled, until she had decided to invite Potter and the Weasel over everyday and had kept her blasted Muggle music on till late at night. She knew exactly how to piss him off, and she did it.

Unfortunately, Draco now also spent his nights being haunted by memories of their last encounter. It had felt so good when he had kissed her, and it had seemed so right holding her in his arms, that he couldn't forget it. He found himself dreaming about her and yearning for her touch more and more, and it was driving him insane. It was a change from all the chilling nightmares he had had since the beginning of school, but his dreams had simply exchanged one form of torture for another kind.

The worst moment had been when he caught Granger off-guard when she watched him, when her soft brown eyes, full of anxiety and pain, would be looking at him thoughtfully with a faint inner brilliance that unnerved him. He had hurt her more than he had thought, but he knew it was best that way. Hell, she was a Mudblood! Something he had been raised to despise and get rid of.

But part of him urged to make up with her and take her back in his arms - feel her body next to him and her lips upon his. The small voice at the back of his mind would try to convince him that his actions were wrong and Draco desperately tried to ignore it each time he saw her and suppress his shudder each time he smelt her light perfume. Nothing could ever happen between them; it was impossible, too dangerous. Besides, what exactly was going on between them? Draco would never know, he could never know. Being a Death Eater had made him hate, kill and cause pain, in essence, learn to obey the Dark Lord's way. Being with Granger was against everything he had ever believed in or done. There was no escape; he could never learn to love, he had come too far.

And so he denied his feelings for Hermione, covering them up with the feelings of hate and disgust he had known all his life and silenced the small voice which told him otherwise.

When Draco finally came out of his room, he found Granger sitting in front of the fireplace reading a book.

_Damn, it's Saturday and she still has to be around to bug me!_

"Why are you still here?" he asked annoyed.

"I didn't know you cared," she replied in a dull voice.

"Got rid of your goofy friends I see? Please tell me when you intend to invite them next time, so I can get the hell out of here before they ruin my day!" he spat out.

"Whatever," Hermione continued reading her book, not once turning to face him.

It unnerved him how she could ignore him like that. He, Draco Malfoy deserved more respect than that. Just as he was about to voice his opinions again the door to the common room swung open and the Weasel walked in.

"Hermione?" he asked unsure, only catching sight of Draco.

"I'm here!" she answered from the couch.

"What the hell?" Draco shouted from his spot. "Granger, what did I just tell you?"

"Can't remember, I was too busy ignoring you, Malfoy!" she replied bitterly.

He looked at her furiously. "Just you wait, Mudblood." He then turned to her red-haired friend. "You out! Now!"

"No way ferret! And don't call her that!" Ron yelled back at him.

"Or what will you do about it Weasel? What would you do to save your precious _Mudblood_!" he spoke slowly, articulating the last insult clearly.

"You bastard!" Ron started, ready to pounce on him, but Granger got to her feet quickly.

"Ron!" she ordered. "Don't bother with him, he's just provoking you on purpose, can't you see?"

She put her book aside and went over to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"Need a Mudblood to save you Weasel?" Draco sneered at him. He really needed a good fight right now. He was so angry that he would gladly use the Weasel as a punching ball. However, Granger only rolled her eyes and tugged at her friend's arm harder as she heard the insults. She finally gave Draco one more dark look before turning around and heading for the portrait hole.

"You'll get it in the end, Malfoy," the Weasel snarled.

"Don't fuck with me," Draco hissed back dangerously. "Now sod off, both of you!"

Both glaring at him angrily, they left, leaving a furious Draco behind.

_Damn those Gryffindors are really a pain in the arse!_

Grabbing his cloak, he left hurriedly, heading towards the dungeons and the Slytherin common room. Seeing no one around, he fell back on the leather couch and stared out of the window. He badly needed to cool down, but couldn't help thinking of the Head girl. Damn it! How he hated her so much with all her noble feelings! _"Don't bother with him, he's just provoking you on purpose!"_ Who the hell did she think she was, talking about him like that? Treating him like some idiot child throwing a tantrum?

Gryffindor bitch!

He heard someone coming down the boy's dormitories and smirked as he saw Blaise Zabini sit down on the opposite couch.

"Draco, we need to talk," he said sternly.

The Slytherin Prince simply nodded back to him.

"The guys are restless, they've heard about the incident with Abigail and Potter and considering what happened with Granger at the Hog's Head..."

"Well?"

"They want revenge. They're fed up of Dumbledore's Trio getting away all the time and now they're scared the other students will think that the Slytherins have gone soft."

He paused, uncertain whether to continue or not.

"To tell you the truth Draco, some of us think you've gone soft too."

Blaise had balls to tell him that, but Draco respected him for being honest, although he suspected that it was probably a well-calculated move to provoke Draco into action. Whatever it was, it didn't matter, Blaise could just about get away with it. However, he wouldn't let the others get away so easily. He would prove them wrong; it was time to act and remind Hogwarts just what Draco Malfoy could do.

"Don't you catch anyone else calling me that," he told him. "The day Draco Malfoy goes soft is the day Hufflepuff win the Quidditch Cup. You got that?"

By now he was seething with anger. Not only was Granger messing with his mind, but she was also ruining his reputation. Getting up, he kicked a chair angrily against the wall. He was going to get her back, and get her back bad.

"As for Potter, we'll get him back through the filthy Mudblood. And trust me, I live with that scum everyday. I know exactly how to get our sweet revenge."

His steel grey eyes glistened as he worked up a plan in his head. Granger was going to pay for ever believing he could change; he would show her. A devilish grin appeared on Blaise's face as he listened carefully to him. Draco knew that he was glad he could get his own back on Potter and that the rumours circulating within the Slytherin dungeons were false. Draco Malfoy was still the powerful Death Eater that everybody feared since the start of school, he was far from going soft.

At that precise moment, Draco understood. It was too late for him; too late to expect redemption or try to change. The dark side of his nature, the side he had gotten from his father, had already taken control of his body and mind. He might have had no choice in the matter, causing him to hate the Dark Lord and his father for it, but his soul was already corrupted. It was too late. Now, no matter what happened after he had dealt with Voldemort, he would continue doing evil and evil only. Everything else was dead.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

The next day, upon reaching the portrait of the Black Knight, Draco saw Pansy had already arrived.

As she saw him, she gave him her best smile and kissed him on the cheek. "You're late," she teased him.

"Hardly," he replied. "Listen, we're planning revenge on the Gryffindors and, more precisely on the Mudblood, and I need you for it." His eyes seemed lifeless and he realised that it was scaring Pansy – her eyes were jittering back and forth from his, unable to hold his gaze.

He didn't care.

"On the Mudblood? Do you know that bitch gave me detention because she caught me out of bed after hours? She has some nerve doing that to a Slytherin you know?"

"Exactly, that's why I want you to help us in our revenge."

"And what precisely do I have to do?" she asked, gliding her hands up and down Draco's chest. It really annoyed him how she would claim him like that and get in a fight with any other girl who wanted him. Of course, it never prevented him from actually getting those girls, but Pansy always knew how to make him pay for it. But nonetheless, he didn't mind the pug-faced girl; they understood each other and she would always be there for sex. He was glad that he had finally gotten rid of her delusions of love and marriage last year.

"I'll explain later," he answered, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Meet me here after class."

He left quickly before he was late for his next class, History of Magic. Spotting Blaise at the back, he sat beside him.

"Pansy's in," he whispered quietly to him.

"Good. I've got everything organised on my side. The Mudblood's last class is Care of Magical Creatures with the oaf. I thought we could get her on the grounds, near the Forbidden Forest -"

"No," Malfoy cut in. "People could see us there. Better wait until she's in the castle. We'll get her on her way back to the Gryffindor Tower, trust me, I know exactly where."

Blaise kept taking notes with his face down, although Draco knew his ears were perked, curious to hear more about the plan.

"In front of the Black Knight's portrait," he suddenly revealed, "No one should see us there, it's dark and we'll get the others to block off the corridor."

"Good idea," Blaise answered, his blue eyes sparkling with malice. "But what about Potty and Weasel? What do we do about them?"

"They have Quidditch practice tonight, she'll be on her own," Draco explained, watching Professor Binns intently, as though he was following the class. His own eyes had become a darker shade than usual as he thought about tonight. Granger was going to be sorry she even spoke to him this year.

"Draco," Blaise hissed suddenly.

"What?" he answered, annoyed. Merlin, how many questions did Blaise need to ask?

"What do we do if - if Abigail gets in the way, you know like she already did in Hogsmeade." His voice was unsure and Draco knew he didn't like that possibility one bit. If Abigail Serpent got in Slytherin's way once more, they were sure the others would get her back this time. Slytherins didn't forgive or forget so easily, and it had taken a lot of pulling strings by both Draco and Blaise to get them to forget the Hog's Head incident.

"I'll deal with her if she does."

The two Slytherin friends kept silent until the end of class. Their last class was double Charms with the Ravenclaw and then, show-time.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

It was time and Draco was walking with Pansy towards the portrait.

"Just do what you always do," he told her as they approached the scene. Draco could already hear Blaise's voice loud and clear. The couple nestled into the shadows, keeping their eyes on the scene before them as they started to make out.

Draco knew Granger from head to toe; he had figured her out after all their conversations and time spent together. He knew she had some kind of holy faith in him or some bullshit like that, and he would use it against her. He knew her so well that he had planned his revenge around her words. He knew some time or other when Blaise would threaten her, she would call to him -

"You're just a filthy little Mudblood, who's going to pay very dearly!"

She would eventually cry out -

"You know, if Malfoy were here, you wouldn't dare touch me!"

Wrong move.

Blaise lifted his hand swiftly, wanting to hit her, but quickly decided against. Draco smirked to himself. He must have remembered what had happened last time he had hit her.

"I already told you; you aren't worthy enough to say his name," Blaise spat out, "and as for him saving you; well, why don't we ask him?"

On cue Draco glided out of the shadows, Pansy's arms wrapped possessively around him. He smirked at Hermione, his eyes roaming over her with pure contempt.

It was time he got the Mudblood out of his system and silence that little voice in the back of his head once and for all. She would pay for ever believing that she could alter him, she would pay for kissing him the other night in detention, for making him want her; a Mudblood.

After tonight, she would never dare even look at him again.

"Hello Granger," he greeted her.

**************..~**~..**

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**Evil cliffhanger, I know! But I hadn't had one for such a long time... Sorry for the short chapter; I will definitely catch up with the next!**

**Tell me everything that passes ur mind; ur reviews make me happy! Constructive criticism is fine by me!**


	11. Dark Corridors

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, his world belongs to J.K. Rowling. I merely own the plot and characters you do not recognise.**

**Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay, I wasn't around last weekend but I have nearly completed next chapter. Hope you readers will review this chapter, its quite long!**

**By the way, I don't have a beta. I'm not exactly sure what they do but if anyone is interested email me:)**

**Warning: Dark chapter, R-rated!**

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Chapter 11

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Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. She had hardly spoken to Ron or Harry at dinner last night, too caught up in her own thoughts about Malfoy, and afterwards, she had gone straight to bed.

As soon as she was seated besides Ron, she knew something was wrong. All the Gryffindors seemed cheerful that it was finally the weekend, except Harry, who seemed lost in his thoughts with a pitiful expression on his face.

"What's wrong with Harry?" Hermione asked Ron quietly as Ginny sat down beside her.

"Oh, he's still upset because of that girl he met in detention," Ron answered loudly, catching everyone's attention.

"Turns out he didn't know the bitch was in Slytherin," Dean continued for Ron.

"I still don't understand why that's a problem for you guys," Ginny retorted.

"Gryffindors just don't mix with Slytherins, Ginny!" Ron shouted at her. "You should know that."

Muttering under her breath, Ginny preferred not to answer him.

Hermione leaned over the table and reached for Harry's hand. "I'm sorry about Abigail, Harry. But I did warn you, with a name like Serpent, what did you expect -"

"Wait a second," he interrupted her suddenly, his green eyes snapping up to hers. "You knew?"

Hermione was briefly taken aback by the accusatory tone in his voice and narrowed eyes.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?"

This time, he spoke much louder and the Gryffindor table fell silent, shocked to see Harry Potter getting angry. They were even more surprised when they realised his anger was directed at Hermione.

"Oh Harry, I -"

"Just answer the damn question, Hermione," Harry growled back at her.

She merely looked back at him, stunned for a few minutes, and then suddenly she realised that every Gryffindor had their eyes on her, wondering what all the shouting was about.

"Yes, I knew from the beginning and so did Ginny, but I told her not to tell you."

"What? Ginny?" Ron questioned dumbstruck.

"I didn't tell you because I thought you'd find out quickly enough, some way or another, and I didn't want to cause you any more pain," Hermione continued. How could she lie so easily to them? She hadn't told Harry because she was too afraid he'd start asking questions about Abigail and find out the truth.

"So instead, you preferred that I realised the truth in front of Malfoy and her and that I made a complete fool out of myself! So much for being my friend, Hermione," Harry spat out before leaving his seat and walking out the Hall.

"Ron, what is he talking about?" she asked her red-haired friend, confused.

"Hermione, weren't you listening to us at all yesterday, at dinner?" he asked angrily. "Merlin, I'm having such a bad week. First I see ferret boy and Parkinslut go for a shag in the closet, then -"

"What?" Ginny interrupted. "But they're not together anymore!"

"Ginny, do you think I give a damn about Malfoy's love life?" Ron retorted, spilling his pumpkin juice. "Damn him! Just thinking about those horrible images again cut my appetite. See you later!"

A very colour drained Hermione watched him leave whilst her mind couldn't help replaying Ron's words in her head. _Malfoy and Pansy?_ Immediately, she felt her heart sink to her stomach. She found copper eyes staring back at her, and she tried to smile back, but failed. Ginny let it go, and instead she told the Head Girl everything that had happened at Quidditch practice the day before, explaining how Harry had found out that Abigail was a Slytherin.

"We should have told him straight away instead of lying," Ginny said, nodding her head.

"Yeah, now we have to practice again Monday night for the upcoming game and find some new moves!" Dean cut in, stuffing toast into his mouth.

"Shut up Dean!" Hermione and Ginny said together.

Wanting to be on her own, Hermione decided to head back to her room, maybe read a book or something, but Ginny held her back.

"Hey, before you leave, I just wanted to warn you," Ginny said quietly to her, casting an anxious glance around her. "Malfoy seems particularly pissed off since yesterday and I have a feeling that the Slytherins are up to something. Just be careful Hermione, stay out of his way, okay?"

Reassuring her friend that she would, Hermione left for the Head quarters common room.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

The weekend went by quickly for Hermione. She did most of her homework for the following weeks and made up with Ron. Harry, however, barely talked to her anymore, although he had accepted her apology and visited her from time to time in her dorm with Ron. Unfortunately, he had gone back to brooding night and day and not even Ron could cheer him up.

As for Malfoy, well Hermione ignored him as best as she could. She pretended that he wasn't around, although he would deliberately pick up fights with Ron as on the Saturday morning. However, it was harder to ignore him than she had thought. After what had happened between them in detention, pretending he wasn't there seemed the best solution to get over him and the best way to forget about him and everything he had said to her. It hurt to know he had chosen his father's path rather than her own. It hurt even more to know that, for once in her life, she was wrong.

Draco Malfoy was not going to change for her, he was not going to stand up to his father for her, and he didn't have any feelings for her.

And she hated herself for it. She hated herself for being such a fool to believe in him, she hated Malfoy for being right all along, she hated Snape for having given them both detention that night, hell - she even hated Dumbledore for making them Head boy and Head girl this year.

She was lost, she didn't know what to do next, things weren't going the way she had planned them. And so that was why she had decided to ignore him, act as if nothing had ever happened and forget. It was less than likely that Malfoy would bring up the subject again or want to talk about it.

Therefore, Hermione started classes Monday morning with only her friends and studies in mind, having pushed away everything that concerned a certain blond Slytherin.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

"We'll catch you later Hermione!" Ron shouted back to her as he ran away to the Quidditch field with Harry. They had finished Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid and now her two best friends had Quidditch practice, yet again, and she would be spending her night alone, doing her homework.

Walking through the corridors leading to her common room, Hermione thought about what Ginny had said. If Malfoy was there tonight, she would be alone with him and if what Ginny had said was true... But she quickly dismissed the thought as she passed in front of the Black Knight's painting. The corridor seemed unusually dark and suddenly she heard somebody behind her.

She whirled around, but no one was there. The corridor was completely deserted. She was all alone.

"There's no need to be scared," she muttered to herself, passing by the portrait.

"Are you so sure?" someone answered over her shoulder.

Skipping a heartbeat, Hermione swung around, coming face to face with Blaise Zabini and his trademark devilish grin. She couldn't help but shudder when she saw the malicious look on his face.

"Leave me alone, Zabini," she hissed, turning her back to him. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could make it to her common room or find a teacher or... However, she had only taken a few steps away from Zabini when she saw Crabbe and Goyle standing menacingly at the other end of the corridor, blocking her way.

_Oh shit! Why are they doing this? What do they want from me?_

Taking a deep breath, Hermione turned around, trying to find another way to escape, but Blaise was still standing a few feet away, and this time, he wasn't alone. Standing next to him were a couple of sixth-year Slytherins she didn't recognise.

"What do you want?" Hermione dared to ask, gripping her wand through her robes. She tried to keep calm as they closed up on her from both sides, but her heart beat even faster against her chest.

"We want you to deliver a little message to your Gryffindor friends, Mudblood," Blaise calmly answered her.

"Crabbe, Goyle."

Seeing the two baboons step up to her, Hermione pulled out her wand in a flash. "_Stupefy!_"

Instantly Crabbe froze in place and collapsed backwards. Seizing her chance, she pushed Goyle out of the way and ran, but they were too quick. She felt a hand grab her arm and push her forcefully against the wall, her arm twisted in a half nelson.

"Stupid Gryffindors!" Blaise hissed at her, plucking her wand out of her hand. "You really need to learn some more powerful curses. Even against Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries, I heard you and your precious Potter only tried to stupefy them when they were threatening you with the Killing curse! It's a miracle that you ever got away!"

He laughed at the irony he had just pointed out, quickly followed by his fellow Slytherins. The stupefy curse had been lifted from Crabbe and although his face had paled considerably, he seemed angry with her.

"What the hell is your problem Zabini? Can't find any guys to bully, so you're taking it out on girls now?"

Blaise's face darkened increasingly and she knew that he wasn't kidding anymore.

"You're just a filthy little Mudblood, who's going to pay very dearly," he snarled at her.

_Stupid bastard! You weren't smirking so much at the Hog's Head when Malfoy came in!_

And then, an idea stuck her. "You know if Malfoy were here, you wouldn't dare even touch me," she taunted him, hoping the fear of Malfoy's name would make him release her.

At her words, his eyes flashed dangerously and he raised his hand as if to strike her, but thought better of it. Hermione sighed in relief, but suddenly felt his hand tighten around her neck.

"I already told you; you aren't worthy enough to say his name," Blaise spat out. "And as for him saving you; well, why don't you ask him yourself?"

Hermione's whole body froze as she heard him. Blaise let her go, turned around and, for the second time that evening, her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened in shock as Malfoy stepped out from a dark corner she hadn't noticed before, with Pansy! Obviously from Pansy's ruffled hair and clothes and Malfoy's smirk, they had been making out.

"Hello, Granger," he greeted her.

Seeing Malfoy, with Pansy's arms wrapped possessively around him, broke her heart. Seeing his glare though turned her blood cold. Never before had Malfoy looked so full of hate or looked more like his father, Lucius.

"Malfoy?" Granger barely whispered.

His steel-silver eyes bore into her own, giving her goose bumps. At that precise moment, never before had she been so afraid of him.

"Granger here, thought you would save her from the big bad Slytherins," Blaise sneered from behind. His comment made the others roar with laughter.

"Yes, I told you the Mudblood had feelings for me," Malfoy drawled, snaking his arm around Pansy's waist. The Slytherins laughed even harder at his words.

The humiliation was unbearable and Hermione bravely fought back her tears. What was going on? Why were they doing this to her? Malfoy whispered something in Pansy's ear and the girl giggled, but stepped away. Hermione sensed all eyes on her as he then stepped up to her, glaring at her with contempt. She wanted to run, scream, get help, but she was frozen on the spot. She was paralysed with fear; fear of being in a dark corridor with at least ten Slytherins around her, and no wand left.

Suddenly, the brave Gryffindor inside her woke up. "Malfoy, what's going on?" she demanded with authority.

He didn't answer and as she opened her mouth to speak again, he pointed his wand at her. "_Silencio!_"

After the initial shock of being cursed at, Hermione started shouting back at him and the others, but no sound came out of her mouth.

Smirking at her, Malfoy added. "Granger, I believe I need to teach you some manners. So I'll do the talking here."

He closed up on her, slamming his palms on either side of her head, his face barely inches away from her. Hermione still had her back to the wall and she felt his hot breath on her cheeks. She had nowhere to run, his arms and body prevented her from escaping. His hand suddenly went for her hair, playing with a random strand and then slowly, his finger trailed down her neck.

"You see Granger, my fellow Slytherins here were tired of seeing Gryffindors standing up to them this past week, especially you. They want revenge. And as for me - well, we still have a few things to sort out."

He spoke clear and loud for the others to understand, and at the same time, Hermione felt as if no one else was around except them. He looked into her eyes and she felt shivers run down her back. What was he going to do with her? Where the hell were Ron and Harry when you needed them? She had an extremely bad feeling of what would happen next.

"You see guys, Granger wants a piece of me," he finally announced bitterly.

His hand was now caressing her throat. With every word, Hermione dreaded his next move. From the intense hate she could see in his eyes, she realised that he wanted to hurt her and hurt her bad.

"And the insolent bitch actually believes that I want her too!"

Before Hermione knew it, Malfoy brought both hands to her shirt collar and ripped it open. He grabbed her wrists before she cold fight back and slammed them above her head against the wall. He pinned them with one strong hand.

_What the hell do you think you're doing!_ Hermione mouthed at him, furious. Recovering from the shock of Malfoy tearing her shirt, she felt anger swarm within her. She looked down at what was left of her shirt, her revealed black bra and it made her go out of her mind. He had humiliated her, insulted her and now he was violating her?

She screamed voicelessly back at him, trying to kick him in the process, but he was stronger than her and strengthened his grasp around her wrists, making her wince in pain. Malfoy smirked back at Hermione as he saw tears flood her eyes.

_Malfoy you sick bastard! How can you do this to me? Get the hell away from me!_

She twisted and turned underneath him and didn't stop until the pain on her wrists became unbearable. Not only did Malfoy know where to apply pressure on her wrists so that it hurt, but he also pushed her skin further against the rough cutting stonewall.

Triumph flared in his eyes as Hermione finally gave up all resistance. "You see, I make the rules here Mudblood and you obey."

To her absolute horror, his hand suddenly found its way to her chest and trailed down between her breasts. It then made its way down to her stomach, at the rim of her skirt. Hermione gasped and looked at him terrified. She wondered if the others could see what he was doing, but she couldn't see past Malfoy's tall frame.

"Tell me, is this what you expected to happen when you admitted your feelings for me?" he asked her dangerously.

Hermione looked away from his stormy silver eyes in shame as she felt his hand on her body. His touch seemed to burn her skin and she tried to wriggle herself free, but he prevented her.

Suddenly, he pushed his knee between her legs.

"Open up!" he hissed.

She obeyed, afraid of what he might do if she didn't. Was he going to rape her, right here, in front of so many eyes? Tears fell from her face as she felt his knee between her legs, pushing her up against the wall. Her feet were barely touching the floor.

Why had she ever thought he could change? Why had she gone after him and persisted even after he became a Death Eater? How could she ever have had feelings for him? She had never wanted to bother Malfoy with her feelings for him, but she thought she could at least bring him peace, bring him to safety, away from his father and hopefully save him from being a Death Eater. But who was she fooling? The question whirled through her head as his hand continued to stroke her. He obviously doesn't want to be saved!

"Tell me Granger, is this what you wanted?" he whispered dangerously. His hand dropped to her left leg and snaked its way up, under her skirt.

"Is this what you wanted from me? My hands, my touch - my bare skin?" he interrogated her in a cold voice as she lowered her head in shame. Finally, she shook her head at his question.

But he grasped her face painfully and obliged her to look into his steel-gray eyes. "Isn't this what you were craving for Granger?" he repeated, shouting at her.

She opened her eyes wide in fear and mouthed the word 'no' to him.

Tears started to stream down her face. Everything was happening so quickly; how did she even get in this mess? Why hadn't she listened to Ginny? Why hadn't she listened to Dumbledore in the first place, or even Abby? Hadn't they all warned her against Malfoy? Hadn't they all known what Malfoy was capable of? They all knew this would happen and yet, she had still stupidly believed in him.

His hand was now caressing her inner thigh, but his eyes, glittering with malice, continued to bore into her own terrified ones.

"Are you sure?" he smirked devilishly, his fingers tracing the limits of her knickers. "I'm a good teacher."

Hermione shook her head violently. She couldn't think anymore, she could barely see him through her mess of tears, but she could feel his touch. She was afraid and at his mercy. She wanted him to stop, dreading what would happen if he didn't.

She thought he could change, but she was wrong; people don't change. And now she was paying the price for it.

"I thought not," he whispered in her ear.

He suddenly let go of her, putting his knee back down and Hermione collapsed to the ground, her head hitting hard against the stonewall she had been propped against. Her heart was thumping loudly and her vision continued to blur with every second. It took her some time to realise that she was sitting on the cold stone floor and that her shirt was still open. She grasped her robe hurriedly and covered herself the best she could, sobbing.

Malfoy looked down at her with contempt and summoned Pansy to his side. She tried to look up at him, but her head throbbed with every movement she made. She could feel something trickle down her neck.

"You see Granger; you were wrong. I could never want you. There are two simple reasons why I would never even touch you," he sneered. "First of all, you're nothing but a dirty Mudblood and second - I wouldn't be caught dead with a Gryffindor prude!"

His words cut through her like a knife. The feeling of fear and shame overcame Hermione once more. Tears continued to stroll down her cheeks as she watched him walk away, his arm around Pansy's shoulders. It was at that exact moment that she felt her heart shatter within. She tried to grasp for air, but the truth hit her too hard. After everything they had been through, she had never thought Malfoy could possibly ever harm her willingly and once more, he had proven her wrong.

As he passed Blaise Zabini, he grabbed his fellow Slytherin by the collar. "Is that soft enough for you?" he hissed at him and at the rest of the Slytherins. "Huh?"

Hearing no answer, he pushed Blaise away from him and continued walking away with Pansy.

"What do we do with her?" the dark-haired Slytherin asked, obviously pissed off.

Malfoy continued walking down the corridor, waving his arm from behind his shoulder. "Do whatever the hell you like! It's not my problem anymore!" he shouted back.

As he disappeared from their view, the spell broke and Hermione got her voice back. She sobbed on the ground, clutching her robes for cover. Her messy hair fell into her sore red eyes, but she didn't care any longer. Her head was whirling with unanswered questions. How could he do this to her? How could he treat her like this after everything that had happened between them? Her head was badly aching.

God, how could she have been so wrong?

Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she watched the Slytherins gather around her. They seemed shocked to see what Malfoy had done to her. They surely hadn't thought that he would go so far...

"Crabbe, Goyle!" Blaise shouted. "Watch out for anyone who comes down this way. What the hell do you think you're doing?" he suddenly asked a sixth-year, who had bent low to examine Hermione.

"Blaise, she's bleeding!" he blurted out in fear. "Shouldn't we get her to the hospital wing?"

"And how would you explain her current state? Who's to say she won't blabber to a teacher or worse, Dumbledore? What would we do then?"

He paused dramatically, waiting for an answer, which never came.

"She stays here and we make sure she keeps her mouth shut, okay? Remember, she's only a Mudblood," Blaise told the others.

They all nodded in agreement, obviously afraid of the consequences if they didn't.

He turned to look at Hermione and sneered. Obviously her uneven breathing, bloody face and ripped clothes did not seem to soften his decision. Hermione didn't even bother to look up as she saw Blaise's blurred outline take a step forward. Her head pounded in pain and she couldn't breathe properly. She wondered if this is what it felt like going into shock. Whatever happened now, she couldn't care. She didn't have to force to fight back anyway. Nothing could be worse than what Malfoy had already done. He had disheartened her, killed all faith in her, shattered her confidence in him and above all, he had rejected her feelings; it hurt more than any physical pain she was about to endure.

However, before Blaise could even grasp hold of Hermione, a voice spoke up from behind him.

"What's going on?"

**************..~**~..**

* * *

**If you think Draco's an evil git do not worry... after the rain comes the sunshine... hopefully!**

**For those who are confused about his attitude, you must remember that Draco has never before been confronted with such emotions as love. Take a look at his family and friends for example, not an ounce of sweet loving there! As for Hermione, well he has learnt all his life that Mudbloods are filthy creatures, inferior to humans as Blaise tells us so kindly reminds us! But do not worry, if he doesn't realise his own faults and stays an arrogant prick then there's no story left!**

**Next chapter: Abby makes a deal with Blaise and confronts Draco – or his bedroom door!**

**Your reactons to this chapter will determine the rest of this fic so PLEASE REVIEW!**


	12. Unexpected Kindness

**A/N: So so so sorry about the LATE update! It's just that I've been very busy in my first week of uni! I promise next chapter will be up this weekend as I've already written most of it!**

**Thank you to all my reviewers: angelina (u've finally got the update!)**

snow-angel222 (well Draco reacted like he was always told to, violently and yes its a bit freaky! Ur guess is correct though!)

roguish muse (i read draco saying that mudbloods weren't even human in another fic and i thought it was perfect for blaise to say, hope u like it!)

poetic-symphony (i'm glad ur having fun and enjoy reading this!),

thatonechic (this fic will eventually become very dark, i mean gryffindors and slytherins just don't get along, right?)

mammakitten121 (i didn't mean to make Hermione sound like a wuss but hey maybe i over did it. I just wanted to show how shocked she was because she's terribly wrong about Draco being a nice guy. Its much more destructive when u think u know someone but in the end u don't and she's paying the price for it. Don't worry, she'll get her own back soon though!)

**Ok, so this is Abby's POV! Trust me she is not becoming a softie, but hey someone has to help Hermione out, right! And she's also gonna pay the price for it in later chapters. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 12

* * *

Abigail had spent her weekend ignoring everybody. She had spent most of her time locked up in her dorm with the curtains closed around her bed. She had skipped a lot of meals during those couple of days and had refused to talk to anyone, especially Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. The only pleasurable company she had had for the past few days, had been her roommates and Ginny.

The Gryffindor girl had spent most of Monday morning classes with her, trying to cheer her up and avoiding any subjects linked to Harry or Malfoy. Even their friendship seemed to piss off Malfoy and the rest of his goons, which cheered Abby up a bit.

Unfortunately yet another problem fell upon her that Monday morning. As she rummaged through her clothes, she suddenly realised that none of them fitted her anymore. They all seemed too big for her and when she had stepped out of the shower and seen her naked body in the mirror, she realised that she had grown incredibly thin.

_Merlin's beard, I can see my ribs! Fine, I'll just have to eat more! _

She had quickly brushed her health problems aside as classes started.

It was finally dinnertime and Abigail found herself once more alone, in the Slytherin common room, finishing her homework. Remembering her reflection in the mirror this morning, she cleared up her things and decided to go eat a healthy dinner in the Great Hall before it was too late.

As she walked up the stairs from the dungeons and across several corridors, she unwillingly saw Malfoy and Parkinson head down towards her from a nearby staircase. Walking on quickly towards the Great Hall, Abigail passed by without acknowledging their presence.

"Hey Serpent!" she heard Malfoy call after her.

"What do you want?" she asked, frowning deeply and crossing her arms.

The white-blond haired Slytherin walked up to her casually, leaving Pansy behind. "Can't the Slytherin prince talk to a pretty girl once in a while?"

"No. I repeat, what do you want?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Malfoy whispered softly to her, licking his lips.

Seeing her roll her eyes at him, he chuckled to himself. "I just thought you'd like to know that Blaise is currently having a fun chat with Granger. You should go watch, I'm sure he'll know how to make it enjoyable."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Riiiight and let me guess - even though you're Head Boy and supposed to take care of the student body - you're not going to stop this."

Malfoy shook his head at her sarcasm and smirked. "Nope. Unfortunately, I have other things to attend to than endangered Mudbloods," he told her, turning to Pansy, who was still waiting for him by the stairs.

_What? Like getting laid, you sick pervert?_

But Abigail sighed instead. "Fine, I'll go after dinner. Where are they?"

He chuckled softly. "Oh no, he'll be finished by then. They're near the Black Knight's painting, I think. Have fun!"

Abby cursed under her breath and pushed past him, running up the staircase where Pansy stood. Damn Granger, how did she always get herself into these situations, with Zabini no less and during freaking dinnertime? And why was Malfoy telling her about it? Surely, he would have wanted to join in...

All sorts of questions ran through in her head as she walked quickly up the stairs and made her way to the painting. If she was quick enough, maybe she could make it back in time for dinner, or the end of it.

As she reached the corridor, sure enough she saw Crabbe standing in her way. Immediately, she pulled out her wand and whispered "_Stupefy!_".

For the second time that night, Crabbe froze into place and collapsed backwards on the ground. Continuing down the dark corridor, she suddenly noticed the crowd of Slytherin boys, hovering over someone. There, among them, was Blaise.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

Blaise was the first to spot her and she was surprised to see his cold eyes soften at her sight. "Abby, what a surprise to see you here," he lied.

At his words, the others fell silent and all turned to face her, gathering closer to hide the person behind them.

"Who's that on the floor? What's happening?" she asked Blaise with more authority.

"We're giving the filthy Mudblood a lesson that Gryffindors will remember for a long time," he admitted proudly, smirking back to his fellow Slytherins.

"Don't you mean 'Granger'?"

Several boys laughed at her words and turned back sneering at the person behind them. Confused, she looked up at Blaise for an explanation and sighed in exasperation. Merlin, didn't they have anything better to do than to bully Granger?

"Blaise, I think you should let her go," she stated.

"What?" Her words had obviously come as a shock to him.

"You heard me, let Granger go!"

"Why?" He seemed very confused that Abigail wanted to stop him.

In response, she glared back at him.

_Damn, now what? How am I going to convince him to let her go? Should I tell him that she's part of my family?_

Pushing Blaise aside, Abigail peered into his sparkling blue eyes, making him understand that what she was about to say was very important.

"Listen Blaise, to tell you the truth, Granger is somehow - related to me," she told him slowly, trying to be all Slytherin about it (which meant sneering and showing strictly no emotions about the situation) as would be expected. "She's like some distant cousin or something and I'd greatly appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else. I don't want anyone knowing that that Gryffindor bitch is related to me."

She then smiled brightly to him, knowing that he couldn't resist her smile and would gladly keep her secret to himself.

"But the fact remains, that if anything should happen to Granger, my family will blame me for not taking care of her," she complained to him. "I'll get in a lot of trouble if she gets hurt. Merlin forbid me that I actually care about the Mudblood, it's just that I have no choice in the matter," she finished dramatically.

Truth was, her Pureblood family couldn't care less what happened to Granger. She was a Mudblood after all and neither Granger nor her Muggle parents had been recognised as part of the prestigious Serpent family. Abigail's own parents had protested against such ancient beliefs about Purebloods being superior to others, but nobody had listened. So then why was Abigail helping Granger out? After all, the Gryffindor girl was responsible for her mother's imprisonment in a Muggle hospital! But still, Abigail didn't like what the Slytherins were doing to her, a bully was a bully after all and if she were ever going to get revenge on Granger for not taking better care of her mother, then she would do it herself!

"Look, just find another Gryffindor to traumatise and leave Granger with me," she countered, catching a glimpse of Granger's limp body on the floor.

Blaise's lips curved into a smirk, which caused her stomach to squirm uncomfortably.

"And what's in it for me?" he breathed softly in her ear, twirling a strand of her jet black hair with his fingers.

Abigail suddenly realised how close he was and felt her heart beat faster. "Well - I won't get angry for a start and Dumbledore won't be on your back," she stated lamely, inhaling his overwhelming cologne. How could she still react to him like this? And why was she leering at his body when instead, she should be remembering what an arrogant prat he was!

"You know what I want Abby."

He paused.

"I want you to go out with me again. I want you to be mine."

_I knew it! I knew he'd bring 'us' up again!_

She glared at him, coldly, determined not to give in. "Well that's too bad because I don't want to go out with you anymore! Once was enough, don't you think? And besides, aren't you shagging Pansy?"

"She means nothing to me," he noted dully. "I think Draco has claimed her back now anyways."

He smirked seeing the disgust on Abigail's face and lifted an amused brow. "That's my offer Abby and if you're so willing to save the Mudblood, then I don't think you have much choice."

He turned his head sharply to the other Slytherins and ever so slightly tilted it, motioning to the lump on the floor. They immediately dangerously closed up on Granger.

"Blaise, I don't believe you! You're about to hurt a girl, don't do this!" Abby cried out. She lunged towards them, but Blaise grabbed her around the waist from behind with one hand and her arm in the other, holding her back tightly. His fingers softly began to caress her stomach through her shirt. She fought against him defiantly, but he only held on to her more firmly.

"So what will it be, Serpent?" he drawled in her ear, kissing her exposed neck lightly as they watched a couple of sixth-years grab Granger roughly off the floor. "Come on, all I want is to be with you again."

He whirled her round and cupped her face in his hand. "It'll be just like before."

His lips were suddenly on hers and Abigail didn't know whether to kiss him back or to scream. Realising Granger was still in danger, she pulled away.

"Blaise, just let her go already. I know better than to make deals with you!" she told him, slightly out of breath from the kiss. He chuckled darkly and raised his eyebrows at the others, causing Goyle to point his wand at Granger's neck whilst the others held her.

Abigail immediately froze. She couldn't believe her eyes, since when did Blaise have so much control over the other boys and since when had he become so cruel?

"Fine, I'll do it," she finally said in a defeated tone, "but tell them to let her go!"

"Done."

Blaise stepped aside and signalled to the others to let her through. Abigail made her way to Granger, who had fallen back on the floor. She couldn't see her well because of the dim lit corridor, but she could hear the girl's pathetic sobs.

"Granger, stop crying!" Abigail told her impatiently.

But as she looked down closer at Granger and noticed her battered breathing, ghostly white face and the blood trickling down from her head, she gasped.

"Oh shit! - Hermione? Are you alright?" She bent down to take a closer look at her face. "What happened to you?"

Hermione fluttered her eyes open and tried to look up at her rescuer, but instead winced in pain.

Abigail whirled around to face Blaise. "Who did this to her?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Blaise shrugged. "Malfoy. He decided to give her a lesson to remember."

"Malfoy?" she thought out loud. She stared back at Hermione, her eyes wide with disbelief. She repeated the name over and over again in her mind, but somehow it wouldn't sink in. She had never thought Malfoy would purposefully harm a student while in school. This could get him expelled!

"Hermione, can you hear me?" She brought her hand to touch Hermione's face and make sure that she was still breathing. Immediately, Hermione's eyes flew wide open as she sensed Abigail's touch, and she scrambled painfully to her feet, pushing the Slytherin away from her.

"Don't touch me," she hissed, limping away from her. Her eyes were filled with fear and her body shook like a leaf. "Stay the hell away from me!"

Covering herself the best she could with her cloak, Granger turned around and quickly disappeared down the corridor, sobbing in pain. Abigail rose to her feet, dumbfounded. She quickly regained her senses as Blaise approached her, smirking and about to say something.

"How could you?" she gasped, looking straight into his eyes.

"Calm down, she's only a Mudblood," he reminded her, frowning slightly.

She looked back at him in disbelief and pushed him hard out of her way as she strode after Hermione. She would deal with Blaise later. Merlin, how could he still believe in all that Pureblood superiority bullshit?

Abigail followed the drops of blood left behind by Hermione and suddenly caught up with her near the Gryffindor tower. The Head Girl was sitting against the wall, one leg propped up, supporting her elbow, whilst the other was sprawled in front of her. Her right hand grasped tightly what was left of her shirt. The other, held up by her knee, supported her head as she cried violently. Her whole body trembled as Hermione cried desperately, her hair falling into her face.

_Oh Merlin, she's breaking down! Malfoy, what have you done to her?_

Hermione instantly noticed Abigail's presence. "Please - leave me alone - oh God! Harry - and Ron -" she barely whispered between her cries.

"Mal - Malfoy!" she continued, before a new wave of tears spilled down her cheeks. "I - I can't go back!"

Abigail quickly understood what she was trying to say. It was obvious, she was afraid of Harry and Ron's reaction if she went to the Gryffindor tower and she couldn't go back to her own dorm because of Malfoy!

She bent down to Hermione and petted her hair. "It's over. Come on, stop crying. Everything's going to be okay now," she said reassuringly.

Abigail wrapped her arms around her awkwardly to comfort her and Hermione clasped the front of her robes desperately in response, as she cried in her shoulder. Abigail felt strange comforting Granger, but she took pity on the girl. Seeing her break down like this made her feel uneasy as she knew it was partly her fault. Malfoy had wanted revenge on Harry for befriending her, but she had never thought he would get back to him like this!

Suddenly, spotting a couple of first-years heading towards the Gryffindor Tower, Abigail pulled away from Hermione and hurried up to catch them before they disappeared behind the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Hey you!" she called out, grabbing a girl by the collar. "Get me Ginny Weasley and make it quick."

The terrified girl whimpered in fright, but did as she was told and Ginny quickly walked out of the portrait door.

"Oh, hey Abby -"

"Ginny, it's Hermione!" Abigail cut in. "She's not doing well."

Walking back to the Head Girl, Ginny gasped in fright as she saw her friend lying on the ground. "Merlin, Hermione! We have to get her to the hospital wing!"

"No, it'll only make matters worse," Abby told her, watching as Ginny pulled Hermione against her in comfort. "We have to get her back to her dorm. Do you mind staying the night with her?"

"No, of course not. But once we're there, you're going to have to tell me what the hell happened to her," Ginny said, petting her friend's hair anxiously and noticing the blood.

Picking her up from the ground and placing Hermione's arms over their shoulders, the trio walked back silently to the Head's quarters, pausing only to hide from students or teachers. It was quite late now, so fortunately not many people were out in the corridors. Reaching the Head's quarters, Hermione whispered the password and they quickly walked to her room, putting her on the bed and locking the door behind.

"Now, you have to tell me everything," Ginny demanded, wringing her hands. She seemed extremely upset and worried for Hermione.

Abigail willingly obliged and told her friend what she knew.

"I don't know what Malfoy did to her," she finished angrily, "But I'm about to find out. Stay here with Hermione and if you know any healing charms, use them! I'm going to give the Slytherin Prince a piece of my mind!"

She left and crossed the common room, heading towards Malfoy's bedroom door. Once there, Abigail angrily knocked on it. There was no answer.

She went to knock again, but stopped. She could hear giggling behind the door and then - was that moaning? Leaning in to hear better, Abigail's jaw dropped open as she heard loud banging and little high-pitched shrieks, similar to some wild animal.

Pansy!

_You have got to be kidding me! They're having sex in there and Malfoy hasn't even bothered putting a silencing charm on the room! Aaargh! Fine, let's see if you bothered to lock the door._

She pulled her wand out. "_Alohomora!_"

To her surprise, nothing happened. Unsure if her spell had worked or not, her hand went for the doorknob, but as soon as her fingers reached it, she was pushed backwards by an invisible force.

_Damn, Malfoy's actually using dark magic to protect his bedroom door! _

Anger seeped through her and she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

_Well, we'll just have to see if his magic is any good!_

Her eyes gleaming deviously, she pulled out her wand again.

_Bombarda!_

Unfortunately, Abigail watched in horror as her spell bounced right off the door and back towards her.

_Fuck!_

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"What the hell happened to you?" Ginny asked confused. "Did you get in a fight or something?"

"It's nothing! I think I'll talk to Malfoy tomorrow."

Abigail couldn't blame Ginny's reaction. Walking over to the mirror, she examined herself and laughed. After being slammed into the opposite wall by her first spell, Abigail had sent a few more spells at the door in pure anger and they had all turned against her. Her hair was a complete mess, it now actually had an uncanny resemblance to Hermione's bushy hair and her face was covered with cuts and dust. Her robes were partially torn, but Abigail quickly muttered a "_Reparo_" spell on them.

However, she was no good with healing charms for small injuries and so she racked her brains to remember the ones her mother had taught her. Fortunately, Ginny took her own wand out and with a flick of her wrist, she healed most of Abigail's cuts and bruises.

"Thanks, so how's Hermione doing?" Abby asked concerned.

"She should be fine. She was bleeding slightly at the back of her head. I didn't find any other wounds so I guess she was mostly in shock. We'll have to wait tomorrow morning to know for sure."

**************..~**~..**

The next morning, Abigail woke up in Hermione's room, in the bed she had magically conjured for Ginny and herself. She was startled to see Hermione awake and looking perfectly normal. Ginny was stirring next to her.

"How are you feeling?" Abigail asked, getting up on her feet.

"Much better thanks," she answered softly, peering at the Slytherin girl intently.

Abigail avoided her gaze and a heavy silence followed until Ginny woke up.

"I'd better get going," Abby told them sharply. "People are going to wonder where I am."

By people, she actually meant Blaise and her Slytherin friends. Muttering a quick cleaning spell on her school uniform and herself, she quickly disappeared in a corner of the room to change out of her borrowed pyjamas. She preferred not to go to the bathroom to change, in case she bumped into Malfoy so early in the morning. She would deal with him later. However, turning around, she thought both girls would have the decency to look away as she got changed and therefore, did not notice both Hermione and Ginny stare at her body with wide-open eyes.

**************..~**~..**

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As soon as Abigail said goodbye and left the room, Ginny jumped on her bed, hugging her friend.

"How do you feel then?" she asked smiling brightly.

"A lot better, thanks," Hermione admitted quietly.

"Oh no, you should really thank Abigail, although I bet she'd rather cut her own head off rather than admit that she helped you. I guess she is a Slytherin after all."

She paused and her smile soon faded into a frown. "Um, Hermione, did you notice her body -"

"Yes," she cut off.

"I don't remember what the Muggle term is for this, but isn't Abigail alonex- "

"Anorexic? Yes, she seems to be," Hermione corrected softly. Along with Ginny, she had also noticed Abby's skeletal features and somehow it upset her.

**************..~**~..**

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Abigail opened the Head's common room door quietly, hoping to leave the place before Malfoy caught sight of her. As she swung the door open, ready to walk out, she came face to face with Harry and Ron instead, both standing on the other side of the portrait. She jumped back in surprise and then quickly decided to walk pass them and ignore them, but their worried faces made her think otherwise.

"Um, hello," she greeted confused.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ron demanded hotly. The worry on his face had transformed into anger. But suddenly, Abby noticed his expression change to embarrassment as he drew up his own conclusions. She watched, confused, as his freckled face flushed red along with Harry's.

And then, it hit her.

"Oh no, no, no!" Abigail cried out, as realisation dawned upon her. "No, I did not spend the night with Malfoy if that's what you think! On the contrary, I was here for Hermione."

"That's why we're here," Harry spoke up. "We didn't see her at dinner or the rest of last night."

"What happened to her?" Ron asked faintly, all anger having faded away.

"Oh - er, she's just not well at the moment and really doesn't want to see you," Abigail answered uncomfortably. She watched as Ron narrowed his eyes at her and Harry frowned deeply.

"What are you talking about? Of course she wants to see us!" Ron finally exclaimed.

"She's scared you'll overreact!"

"Overreact? Overreact?"

"Ron, shut up!" Harry cut in. "Abigail, please, we have to see her."

Surprised to hear him call her by her name, she obliged and they charged towards Hermione's room.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Harry asked as soon as they entered her room.

Ginny stared back in fright and discreetly pulled Abigail to the side. "What are they doing here?"

"I tried to keep them out, but I think it's best if she has her friends, Gin. Just be careful what you say about last night and for Salazar's sake, leave Malfoy out before they try to get him back for it!" Abigail explained before walking back out of the door.

As she heard Ron ask his sister what exactly happened to Hermione, Abigail suddenly stopped outside of Hermione's door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Well, from what I gathered, Hermione was apparently ambushed by Slytherins on her way back here," Ginny began slowly. "We found her in a distressed state outside of the Fat Lady's portrait, brought her back and spent the night watching over her. She's fine now, really."

"Bloody hell! Those Slytherins are going to pay for this," she heard Ron cry out.

"No, Ron," Hermione told him sharply. "Really, I just want to forget about this whole thing rather than seek out revenge."

"But 'Mione!" he retorted, annoying the hell out of Abigail.

"Hermione's right Ron! We don't even know who exactly did this to her," Harry said firmly.

"Just because you fancy that Slytherin girl, doesn't mean -"

But he was shortly cut off by Ginny. "Ronald Weasley! I'll have you know that if Abigail had not been there last night, things could have been far worse."

_Ungrateful git!_ But Abigail couldn't help but smile at the same time, remembering what Ron had said about Harry liking her. Almost instantly, her heart sank as she remembered what she had promised Blaise the night before. Begrudgingly, she left the common room, heading back to the dungeons before the Slytherins awoke.

"Big deal!" she heard Ron shout out loud as she left. "So she used a bit of magic and -"

Abigail was already half down the stairs as the Gryffindors continued to talk amongst themselves.

"No Ron, there were quite a lot of them, she never could have stopped them all," Hermione continued in a softer voice.

"Then how did she manage to get you out of there?" Harry asked, confused.

"Zabini made her a deal she couldn't refuse," Ginny answered quietly.

"And what - what was that?" Harry gulped nervously.

Hermione answered the question for him. "She had to promise to go out with him again."

With a final "oh" muttered by Harry, a heavy silence fell upon the four Gryffindors.

**************..~**~..**

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**The plot thickens, hahaha! Review!**


	13. Realisation

**A/N: Hello everybody! Ok I'll stop making promises about when I update because obviously I can't keep them! Sorry about that! It's just that I don't have access to internet anymore so I need to go to the library and it's quiet far away...**

**I'm still looking for a beta by the way for anyone who's interested, just email me! Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, I hope to get lots more! Enjoy!**

**For those who asked, this is still a Draco/Hermione fic! It will eventually become an R-rated fic as well!**

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Chapter 13

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Draco woke up with a start. He hadn't slept well the previous night, troubled by nightmares about Death Eater meetings. He turned to the girl lying asleep beside him and groaned.

Pansy!

For a brief moment, he had forgotten about her and everything that had happened the previous night. He had been trying to obliterate the images of what he had done to Granger as quickly as possible by sleeping with Pansy, but it hadn't worked. Granger's soft chocolate brown eyes had still haunted him and he couldn't help wonder what had happened to her after he had left.

_No! I shouldn't be feeling this way! She deserved what she got! I shouldn't be feeling all this - guilt!_

Ripping the covers off him, Draco quickly got dressed and shook Pansy's shoulder, waking her up.

"I think you'd better leave now," he said sharply.

She looked back at him confused and groggy from being so rudely awoken, but then silently grabbed her belongings and left, half dressed. She knew better than to argue with him.

After a hot shower and breakfast, Draco was hurriedly walking down the stairs to his first lesson. He hadn't seen or heard Granger all morning and decided, with a twinge of pain, that she was probably in the hospital wing.

Lost in his thoughts, he did not see the person waiting quietly for him in the empty corridor.

"Malfoy," Abigail greeted him coldly.

Draco halted in surprise, and then smirked back at her.

"You and I need to talk," she said, opening a nearby door leading to an empty classroom.

Malfoy's curiosity was piqued. What could she possibly have to tell him? He walked into the empty classroom wordlessly, but cautiously watching as Abigail locked the door behind her and turned round to face him.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "My intention was to talk to you last night, but your bedroom door kept me away!," she jeered with a hint of anger.

Draco chuckled to himself as he realised who had tried to enter his bedroom the previous night whilst he was with Pansy.

"Yes, it keeps nosy people from entering when uninvited."

"I could tell McGonagall or Snape that you used Dark Magic on it," she threatened him.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "No, you're not going to tell anyone anything because then you would have to explain why you were in the Head's quarters late at night."

Abigail shot back an icy glare. "Maybe that's because I was looking after a traumatised Head Girl!"

Draco's smirk disappeared at her words, replaced with a cold glare. How dare she talk to him like this?

"I don't think you remember who you're talking to!"

But to his surprise, his warning did not shut her up.

"Oh no, Malfoy," she spoke out loud and clear. "I've already told you; you can't order me around! I'm tired of your fucking games and now it's time _you_ realised just who you're talking to!"

In a flash, she pulled out her wand. "_Incarcerous!_"

Completely caught off guard, Draco felt the tight ropes bind him and he fell back helplessly in the chair Abigail had summoned behind him.

"Now listen carefully to me Malfoy," she hissed, her shiny dark eyes staring daggers at him. "I don't know what game you're playing at with Granger, but I'm fed up with it. So just leave her alone because if you ever harm her again, I swear I'll hex you to hell and back!"

Once again, Draco was confused. Why was she protecting Granger? What did all of this mean? Did Abigail really work for Dumbledore or was there some other strange reason why a Slytherin would protect a Gryffindor?

"What's it to you, Serpent?" he barked back at her. "Why do you give a fuck about what I do to her?"

He watched carefully, as the dark-haired girl seemed to argue with herself about whether to answer him or not.

"You'll find out soon enough," she said quietly. "Till then I'm the one asking questions."

Malfoy looked down at the invisible ropes binding him and smirked. "Doesn't seem like I've got much choice, does it? So, what do you want to know?"

She paused, eyeing him for a moment and then she sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging.

"Look Malfoy," Abigail began, exasperated. "I just don't understand you! One second, you're supposedly friends with me, then you go and violate Granger! Talk about conflicting personalities. I know you hate each other, but for Merlin's sake, I found her in a state of shock, with ripped clothes and badly hurt. How could you do that to her? And how could you even think I would want to go and watch -"

She paused a few seconds as realisation suddenly seemed to dawn upon her. She opened her mouth a few more times, but then closed it again. Draco turned away from her piercing gaze, worried that his own eyes would betray him.

"You sent me to save her," Abigail finally figured out.

Draco shifted uncomfortably on his chair, although his face remained expressionless. After all, he was a master at hiding his emotions.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he stated sardonically. "Now if you don't mind I'm already late for class!"

With a simple spell Abigail released him from his binds, but she was far from finished.

"Oh come off it Malfoy! You know me better than that," she called after him as he headed for the door. "You knew I wouldn't agree with whatever the Slytherins were about to do to Granger! And so you sent me there to save her from Blaise. How very cunning of you!"

By now Draco was out of the classroom and strolling down the corridor, with Abigail hot on his heels.

"I can't believe I didn't notice you were using me before," she continued eagerly. "Since you couldn't leave her by herself, because Merlin knows what the others would have done to her, of course, you sent me. You had this all figured out, didn't you? You made it look like you were leaving her to a horrible fate, when in fact you came to me afterwards so that I could save her!"

Abigail's voice was becoming louder and louder as everything seemed to fall into place for her. Draco tried his best to ignore her and hoped that she would drop the subject, but she didn't. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. In a flash, Draco turned around to face her, anger flaring up in his silver eyes.

"But what if we hadn't met in the staircase?" she breathed out.

As he looked deep into her dark eyes and saw her honest concern about the situation, his anger vanished.

Maybe, just maybe she would understand him. He took the chance. "Then I would have gone to the Great Hall or the dungeons."

His answer made her frown deeply, as she tried to make sense of the situation. He could almost hear the wheel cogs turning in her head.

"But why?" she finally asked. "Why did you want me to save her?"

He paused, lost for words, praying that if he kept quiet she would never find out.

Abigail looked up into his steel grey eyes. "Unless you -"

"Don't say it!" he told her sharply. He simply couldn't take hearing the truth spelt out in words. He expected Abigail to be angry with him by now, or even hate him. But all she could do was gasp.

"Oh Merlin! How could you?" she asked more to herself than to him.

"What? Have feelings for a Mudblood?" he spat out, although a part of his brain still refused to believe it. "I know it's -"

"No," she cut in fiercely, "how could you torment her like that last night when you have feelings for her? How could you have done that to her?"

She was shouting at him now and turned around to leave, but Draco stopped her, holding on to her arm with a vice-like grip. "Wait!"

He wanted to explain everything; tell her how in fact he had done it to scare Granger away. How it was a necessary precaution he had had to take before things got out of hand, like they had done during Snape's detention. How Granger's constant faith in him was the only reason that she was so persistent and so he had had to destroy it. How it was the only way to make her realise how dark and evil he truly was and that she was wasting her time with him.

And in the end, it didn't matter if they had feelings for each other because, even after everything that had happened between them, he was still a Death Eater and he had made a promise to kill her kind. But he couldn't tell Abigail. He couldn't say any of those things that crossed his mind.

For the first time in a very long time, Draco Malfoy was at a loss of words, his voice constricted by his troubled emotions concerning a Gryffindor! He couldn't explain himself to Abigail because deep down, he knew he was wrong.

Had last night been a terrible mistake?

Abigail shot him an evil glare, but paused a moment, expectantly awaiting an explanation that Draco was too confused to give. So he decided to change subject.

"How - how did you manage to stop Blaise?" he asked with interest. "What spell did you use on him?"

Pulling her arm free, she scowled at him. "I didn't hex him - he made me a deal and I had to accept. I'm his girlfriend again," she admitted deadpanned before walking off the opposite direction from him.

**************..~**~..**

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Two weeks had passed since the day Abigail had confronted him and Draco had admitted his feelings for Granger. He was glad the Dark Lord hadn't summoned him for a meeting, as he might have been tortured for his lack of progress with the Serpent books.

Getting Selena Serpent out of the Muggle hospital proved harder than Draco had thought, but the Malfoy heir had used the fear his name inspired to press the matter hard and finally the Ministry had relented. Abigail's mother would shortly be transferred to St Mungo's.

As for Granger, the Head Girl had avoided him as much as possible and spent even more time with Potter and the Weasel. It was virtually impossible for any Slytherin to approach her anymore, including Abigail.

The rest of the students noticed the increase of tension between the two houses, but no one seemed to know the reason behind it. Malfoy had made sure that the Slytherin students present the night he had attacked Granger kept quiet about the whole affair and for some unknown reason, the Golden Trio also kept the matter to themselves. Draco suspected Granger to have kept most of the details to herself, and he was glad for it. The last thing he needed was for Potter to tell Dumbledore. If Draco ever got expelled, he was done for; there would be no turning back on being a Death Eater or carrying out Voldemort's twisted fantasies.

Malfoy had spent most of his time alone or in the Slytherin common room with Blaise, playing wizard chess or talking about Quidditch. Blaise would mention Abby from time to time, and he seemed to have become very possessive of her. He had already punched every sixth-year who had tried flirting with her, regardless of house or name. In return, Abby constantly argued with him and avoided him as much as possible. The girl couldn't wait to break up with him, and had even tried to pay Pansy to sleep with Blaise so that she could dump him for infidelity. Pansy had categorically refused just to piss her off.

However, being with Blaise didn't stop the Slytherin girl from seeing Potter from time to time. Draco despised seeing them together, but he kept it to himself. He didn't want to anger Abigail as she knew so much about Granger and him, and he did still have the books to learn about, although he was sensing that the opportunity for that was slipping away day by day. He had seen her more than once in the library with the 'Boy Who Lived to be a pain', but as soon as they noticed Draco's presence, Abigail would leave as if nothing had happened.

Draco himself had done a lot of thinking during the time he had spent alone. It surprised him how much Granger seemed to have been affected by their encounter. Obviously he had been successful in shattering her feelings and she avoided Draco like the devil, but she couldn't avoid sitting next to him during most classes. Indeed, feeling the increase of tension between Gryffindors and Slytherins, most teachers preferred to pair them up during classes, for what better example was there than seeing the Head Boy and Girl together?

During the hours they were physically close, Draco couldn't help notice Granger's uneasiness. Several times during Potions he saw her hands tremble as she prepared the ingredients and her face seem to blanch each time they were paired up. She avoided all eye contact with him and kept the conversation to the strictest minimum.

Seeing her in such a state confused Draco. Did he pity her? No pity was an extremely rare emotion among the Malfoys, but he seemed to regret his act. Up till now, Draco had resisted all urges to go and speak to Granger to try to explain himself. It was not worthy of a Malfoy - or was that just what his father would say?

One day, as he watched her come out of the Great Hall alone, it seemed the ideal opportunity for him to speak to her.

"Hermione," he cried out to her.

_Hermione?_ Draco mentally slapped himself. _Why did I call her by her first name? What if someone heard me?_

Fortunately, no one seemed to be around. They were quite alone in the corridor and it made Draco nervous. Granger, on the other hand, stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him surprised.

He walked up to her casually as he spoke up. "I think we need to talk."

He stepped up to her with confidence. "I think I owe you an explana-"

WHAM!

Granger's hand slapped him hard across the face. Draco, caught off guard, took a few seconds to recover from the blow.

"Don't you ever come near me again!" she said in a dangerous voice. He looked back at her trembling form, her clenched fists and narrowed eyes, and suddenly he understood. Granger hadn't been shaking with fear when she was around him during these past two weeks. She was shaking because of her rage, because of all the anger she had accumulated since that night. She had been too shocked to react then; everything had gone by so quickly, she hadn't had time to express her anger. But she was doing it now; Draco had provoked it once again.

She looked up at him defiantly, her chocolate eyes void of any emotion but pure wrath. It made Draco even more eager to talk to her and make her understand his reasons.

"Hermione, listen to me!" he began, stepping closer to her.

But she backed away and pulled her wand out. "Give me one good reason Malfoy and I swear I'll hex you to oblivion!" she threatened him.

Draco backed off at her words. "Hermione, I warned you. I warned you during detention with Snape, I showed you what I was capable! But still you went on about your feelings and -"

"And what?" she butt in. "You thought humiliating me in front of all your friends would solve the problem! You coward! I admitted how I felt about you and you got scared - but instead of accepting it like any other teenager, you violated me!"

"Of course I did! That's who I am!" Draco argued back. "A Death Eater!"

"No, you're not!" Hermione continued in disgust. "You hate being branded like some animal to serve a Half-Blood. You even hate the fact that every day you look more and more like your father. But when people try to help you, still you push them away, scared of joining the other side, scared of the goddamn consequences! Just take the risk Draco before it's too late and before Voldemort leads you to certain death."

She wasn't shouting anymore and Draco looked down at her in disbelief. How did she know all this about him? Was he that easy to read?

Draco's eyes seemed to open at last and he realised the truth in Hermione's words. He realised her faith in him was still there, regardless of the pain he had caused her. It was like last year all over again, when she tried to steer him away from the path of becoming a Death Eater and instead, they would endlessly bicker about the war, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Potter...

Unconsciously, he had fallen for her last year. She was supposed to be a boring bookworm, a filthy Mudblood, but Hermione Granger wasn't. She was witty, intelligent, beautiful, funny and ever so loyal and persistent. She was a true Gryffindor in the end.

For the first time that year Draco genuinely smiled at her. His smile was one of gratitude and apology. Apology for everything he had done to her because he couldn't stand hearing the truth. He was simply scared in the end, scared of what might happen if he left Hogwarts, scared of what might happen if he continued to be a Death-Eater, scared of the consequences if he took his destiny in his own hands and became his own master.

She was right; he was a coward. He looked into her soft brown eyes intently and she simply stared wide-eyed back at him as he smiled. He should have told her how right she was, how sorry he was and how much he had missed her presence, her smile, her scent and her touch, but they were interrupted.

"Get the hell away from her!" someone yelled behind him, before pushing him away from Hermione.

Draco's face fell back into an expressionless one as he turned to face his attacker.

A very angry Potter stared back at him.

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**Next chapter Hermione's POV, will she be forgiving? confrontation between Draco and Harry! You shall find out soon... **

**Review!**


	14. Changes

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or his fabulous world of magic.

**Author's Notes:** Hello everyone! I'm back! I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting but I have been mega busy these past weeks and didn't get much writing done. I've read over this chapter a few times but it might not be so good as the others.

**Thank you for the reviews, I'm soo impressed! 44 reviews! Yay!**

A few personal thank you's are necessary I think!

Magma rose and Nikki (thank you for reviewing guys, I'm finally updating as you can see, hope you enjoy!), written on paper wings (I can't make Harry suffer! Lol! Don't worry everything will happen in due time. Hermione does actually listen to what Draco has to say...), Melmalfoy (thank you for following my fanfic and reviewing! I hope to hear from you again.), dracocrazyem (Hey what can I say? Poor Harry has seen a lot of people murdered in front of his eyes and its has scared him. You can't blame him for being like I've made him, but don't worry, he improves!), Bootstrap Beka (I'm so glad u enjoy this fic! I never thought someone would love it so much! Please continue your reviews, they make me happy!)

As for those who wonder about Abigail; well she can't go on not eating forever and its not that she's not hungry or whatever, its more that she forgets to eat because she's so obssessed about being the perfect Serpent now that her mother has gone mad and she does have a lot on her mind, being Blaise's girlfriend again. But can she really complain? Blaise is fit in this fic, lol! Enjoy!

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Chapter 14

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Two weeks of hell passed for Hermione since the episode with Malfoy and the Slytherins. She didn't mind having Harry and Ron around her, but they seemed to constantly follow her since the incident with Malfoy. None of the Gryffindors would let any Slytherins near her. Even Abigail, who had come to check up on her in the Entrance Hall, had been turned away by Dean and Lavender.

Worse was how the Hogwarts' teachers constantly paired her up with the Slytherin git. It drove her crazy to see him act as if everything was alright when he had mistreated her only two weeks ago. Therefore Hermione avoided him as much as possible which was difficult as they lived together, although Harry and Ron were there with her nearly every night in the Heads' Quarters. Hermione found her peace in studying. It was the perfect excuse to be alone and spend hours in her room or the library, without anyone to disturb her. She put her heart back into studying for her NEWTs and worked hard till late at night most days.

Sometimes she managed to escape her two best friends by running away to the rocks by the lake. It was her favourite spot on the grounds as it was usually quiet and she could easily hide from the others there.

Hermione had seen Abigail there one day, sitting alone on a flat rock, contemplating into the lake. The girl seemed completely lost in her thoughts and did not notice Hermione's presence. She had become even thinner and tired since the Gryffindor had last seen her. Now that she was with Blaise Zabini, Hermione pitied her. More than once, she had seen Abigail hide from him or argue with him in the corridors. He seemed impossible to get along with; he never let her out of his sight.

Hermione had sworn to herself to help the Slytherin girl after what she had done for her. She would fix the broken smile on Abigail's face, but for that she needed Harry.

Hermione remembered how she had talked to him a couple of nights after that.

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They were the only ones left in the Gryffindor common room, Ron having gone to sleep already to avoid further studying. They both sat on the comfy armchairs facing each other as Harry tried once again to teach Hermione how to play wizard chess.

"Why don't you talk to Abigail anymore?" Hermione suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

He shifted uncomfortably at the name and slowly lifted his eyes off the game.

"You know why," he stated quietly, "she's a Slytherin."

"Oh Harry, you shouldn't be so prejudiced," Hermione sighed loudly.

"I think there's sufficient reason to be, Hermione," he answered back coolly.

"You liked her before you knew that though," she pointed out as she leaned back in her chair.

"Yeah, well she's going out with Zabini now," he replied, scathingly, clearing away the chess game. "I'm sure she's getting on quite well without me."

"No matter what you say, I know you still like her," Hermione exclaimed, grinning. "And really Harry, are you blind? She's miserable with that idiot! The only time I ever saw her smile was when you were together. And the same goes for you," she added.

He listened carefully as she spoke. He seemed to realise that he did indeed miss the Slytherin girl. Hermione knew that deep inside he was angry with himself for dismissing Abigail like he had done.

"Trust me, Harry," Hermione continued. "Just go and apologise to her, talk to her again; but avoid Zabini at all costs. I saw him punch a fifth-year yesterday for talking with Abby. That guy is seriously out of his mind."

Harry seemed to contemplate what she had just said for a while and then let out a deep sigh. "I won't promise you anything 'Mione, but I guess I should say sorry to her."

"You're not doing this for me Harry, you're doing it for yourself," she told him smiling, before going to bed.

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Since that night, Hermione hadn't gotten a chance to ask Harry about Abigail, but she saw them together in the library in deep conversation a few times. She hoped it would lighten Harry's mood. She had already noticed some changes in him since he had met Abigail. Several times Harry had stuck up for himself when confronted by teachers or other students, something he had not done since fifth-year.

Unfortunately, Voldemort was still out there and getting stronger every day according to the reports she read in The Daily Prophet. His followers were increasing in numbers rather rapidly, whilst the Ministry was still lacking Aurors. If Abigail could help the 'Boy Who Lived', then it was all for the best.

The following week Hermione had managed to successfully avoid all contact with Malfoy, and was enjoying her lunch with her friends. Ginny was sitting in the lap of her latest boyfriend a few seats away and Harry was peering over her shoulder at the Slytherin table whilst Ron wolfed down his food. It was the day of their first match against Slytherins and he needed all the energy that he could get.

Once again, Dumbledore hadn't authorised Harry to take part in the match. The headmaster was still afraid for the Boy Who Lived's health and feared finding him in pieces at the hospital wing, especially with Slytherin playing. All Harry could do was watch his team play from the stands and cheer. Hermione knew that he was disappointed. He was looking forward to playing against Slytherin and catching the Snitch under Malfoy's nose, but instead he would probably sulk in the Gryffindor common room and watch the game from his window.

Finishing her plate, Hermione smiled warmly at her friends before leaving hurriedly to go to the library. As she walked down the corridor, she realised that she wasn't quite alone. She turned to see who was following her, never expecting to find that it was Malfoy. Before she knew it, the git called out her name.

"Hermione!"

_Hermione?_ She thought angrily. How dare he call her by her first name after everything that had happened? Anger overtook her as she remembered all the pain he had caused her a fortnight ago and that she hadn't been able to express before. As he walked closer to her, she couldn't believe his nerve and as soon as he was within range she smacked him across the face.

"Don't you ever come near me again!" she voiced dangerously to him.

Malfoy wanted to explain himself to her apparently, but it was all a bunch of lies. She had admitted her hidden feelings for him and he had dismissed them in the cruellest possible way. For that she hated him; she hated how he used his Death Eater status to deny his own feelings and made her pay for them.

In her confusion the words flowed out of her mouth as her emotions overwhelmed her. All she could think of were the harsh things he had said to her that night and how he had left her to her fate, collapsed on the ground without even a wand to protect herself. She wanted to shout at him again, tell him how badly he had hurt her and no matter what he said, she couldn't forgive him, but instead she was warning him again. She was endlessly warning him against Voldemort, telling him to join her side before it was too late, because deep inside, she still feared for him, for his life.

_This is just like sixth-year all over again!_

"Get the hell away from her!" Hermione suddenly heard as Malfoy was pushed away from her.

She wondered who had dared stand up to Malfoy and was extremely surprised to see Harry. What was he doing?

"Harry, no!" Hermione shouted to him. "It's okay, I'm fine."

"I don't think so," he answered coldly. He then turned to Malfoy angrily, still clutching his arm.

"Leave her alone. Do you understand, ferret boy?" he threatened the Slytherin Prince.

_Oh my God! What is he doing?_

This couldn't be true! Malfoy was going to beat Harry to a pulp for this! She looked at Malfoy, desperately trying to decipher his emotions, but she could not read his face. He seemed neither surprised, nor angry, nor even confused; there was simply nothing.

After a pause for Draco's answer, which never came, Harry continued.

"What's wrong, Malfoy! Daddy not here to help you?" he taunted.

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief at Harry's words. He hadn't had a fight with Malfoy since fifth-year, what was he thinking?

"Well, well, looks like Wonder Boy is back," Malfoy finally retorted. "Have you finally found yourself some balls, Potter!"

Hermione watched as Harry's face contorted itself in anger, but before he could lunge at Malfoy, a curse appeared from nowhere and hit the Slytherin in the chest, freezing him on the spot with a shocked look on his face and one foot off the ground as he stumbled backward.

Malfoy seemed to have been petrified. Hermione looked around in confusion to see if she could find the person who had cursed him, but the corridor was deserted.

"Malfoy?" she asked hesitantly, touching his frozen arm. "What the -"

But before she could finish, Harry had already grabbed by the shoulders and was leading her away.

"Filch will be here soon," he said quickly. "Come on, we'd better leave before he sees us."

Hermione, however, didn't want to leave. She had seen the look on Malfoy's face before Harry had arrived and he had smiled. Malfoy had smiled at her; he was finally understanding what she had constantly repeated to him these past months, he was finally admitting his feelings and accepting hers. But, could she forgive him for what he had done to her? Never before had she believed that Malfoy could harm her, but he had, although it was more psychological than physical. Mere seconds ago, she swore she hated him. How could her feelings switch like this?

Hermione was too confused to answer any of her own questions. Harry had stuck up for himself, against Malfoy! He was now pushing her away from him, but he seemed no longer scared, he seemed in control! She couldn't wait to tell Ron!

As they both left hurriedly and disappeared from the corridor, Hermione did not see Abigail come out of her hiding place and grin at Malfoy.

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It was finally time for the big match and every Hogwart's student was waiting impatiently in the stands for the game to begin. Malfoy had quickly recovered from the attack and seemed in perfect shape as he entered the field, holding his broom. He was captain of the Slytherin team now and Hermione watched as he waved to the crowd, followed by Blaise. Whilst the Slytherin stand cheered and shouted, the Gryffindors hissed at them. As Ron and Ginny entered, leading the rest of the Gryffindor team, the stand broke into applause and shouts. Hermione, in the front seats, shouted frantically, cheering on all her friends as they mounted their brooms.

The game finally began and the teachers watched nervously as their students swooped and swerved in front of them on their brooms. Hermione continued to watch anxiously as the Gryffindors led the game. Ginny managed to score, but then Blaise abruptly knocked her broom. The red-haired girl clung on tight though and swooped down back into the game. The nerve-wracking match continued and Hermione cheered along with her Gryffindor friends. With a bit of luck, Thomas Conway, the second Gryffindor Seeker would soon find the Golden snitch and...

But Hermione suddenly looked away as Harry appeared in the stands, a worried look on his face. He saw her and summoned her over.

"Abigail's in the hospital wing," he said, panic in his voice. "I found her in tears in the Great Hall and then she suddenly collapsed to the ground. I took her to the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey is with her now. Professor Dumbledore asked me to fetch you, as you're Head Girl."

She looked back at him in disbelief. "Oh my God, is she going to be alright?"

Harry took her away from the crowd and they both made their way down the stands. "I don't know Hermione, she's still unconscious," he exclaimed with difficulty.

At his words she fell silent and they quickly rushed off back to the castle.

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**I will not have much time this week to write so u'll have to wait two weeks for the next chapter. Till then review!**

**Next chapter: You find out why Abigail was in tears, why she's in the hospital and who comes to visit her...**


	15. Too Much

**Author's Notes: Hey everybody! Surprise, I'm updating early this time. Sorry about the review under my name but as I already expalined, my (idiot) friend forgot to log out.**

**Warning: For those Dumbledore fans out there, he's quite nasty in this chapter, so you're all warned Enjoy!**

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Chapter 15

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"Ginny, I can't take it anymore! He's driving me crazy!" Abigail shouted out in desperation as she strolled down the corridor with her friend. It had been two weeks since she had agreed to be Blaise Zabini's girlfriend again and she was seriously regretting her decision.

"It can't be _that_ bad," Ginny suggested softly.

"Gin, he punched a fifth-year last week because he smiled at me. He's completely nuts and utterly obsessed! He never used to act like this," Abigail continued, making her way through the crowd of students before her.

As she reached their Transfiguration class she lowered her voice. "I even asked Pansy if she'd sleep with him," she said confidentially.

Ginny's eyes shot wide open. "What! Why?"

"'Cause if I catch them out, then I can break up with him for infidelity and he can't get mad in return. I'll have kept my side of the bargain, and he'll keep his. Hopefully! But Parkinslut laughed right in my face and actually refused!" she explained, scowling. "I mean what's wrong with her? Any other day, she would have jumped on the offer; it's like she's suddenly got morals or something."

"Oh Abby, Pansy hasn't suddenly grown a conscience," Ginny explained gently, patting her friend's arm in comfort. "She probably did it to piss you off!"

"Yeah, I know," the Slytherin admitted, looking defeated. She sank down into a chair and sulked.

She was so miserable since she had been seeing Blaise again and, no matter what Ginny said, she knew perfectly well that her Gryffindor friend did not understand her. According to Ginny, Blaise followed right behind Malfoy as the ultimate sex god and so she couldn't understand why Abigail complained about him.

A dark-haired figure suddenly crossed Abigail's mind and she held back a smile. "I talked to Harry again today."

"Oh Merlin, you shouldn't! What if Malfoy or Zabini find out?" Ginny reminded her cautiously, sitting down too and pulling out parchment and a quill from her book bag.

Abigail gave a dry laugh and waved her comment off. "Please, Blaise will never find out and Malfoy – believe me, he wouldn't say anything."

_Oh course he wouldn't! I know too much about him and Granger!_

"Anyway, Harry seems pretty upset that he can't take part in the match tomorrow against Slytherins. _Dumb_ledore said 'no'," Abigail continued, emphasising the insult on the headmaster.

"Don't call him that," Ginny said hotly, throwing her a look. "Professor Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of the world and if it wasn't for him, You Know Who would have already taken over!"

Abigail apologised, realising she had upset her friend, and quickly turned her attention to Professor McGonagall. Like all Gryffindors, Ginny had some sort of blind faith in the headmaster that Abigail just couldn't understand.

The rest of the day passed by rapidly and soon it was night again. Abigail spent most of her night working on her Charms in the Slytherin common room, ignoring Zabini and his not-so-subtle sexual innuendos.

"Hey Abby," he shouted across the room, sitting among his male friends. "Since you like fiddling with your wand so much, come over here and I'll let you play with mine!"

His friends guffawed with laughter as she shot him a dark look and stormed off to her dormitory.

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Abigail woke up late the next morning and missed breakfast again. She scolded herself for missing out a meal, again, but she seemed to constantly run out of time whenever it came to eating. As she walked hurriedly to the Great Hall she heard angry voices ahead of her. She slowed down as she turned the corner and saw Malfoy and Granger in front of her. She hesitated and anxiously watched the heated conversation they were engaged in in the hallway.

Abigail had noticed them avoiding each other over the past two weeks. She suspected that this was the first time that they had spoken to each other since the incident next to the Black Knight's painting. Neither of them seemed to notice her loitering in the corridor and so she slipped behind a nearby statue to eavesdrop on their conversation.

" – You hate the fact that every day you look more and more like your father –"

_Ouch! That's gotta hurt - Malfoy isn't going to like that! _

But something else suddenly caught her attention. A tall, dark-haired figure had also noticed the heated argument from the other side of the corridor and was marching down the corridor towards the couple. Thinking it could be a teacher, Abigail decided to leave quietly before she got into trouble herself, but as she turned away she did a quick double-take as she spotted green eyes.

It was Harry!

_Oh Merlin! What on earth is he doing? Trying to get himself killed? _

However, her mouth dropped open as she saw Harry stand up to the Slytherin Prince and even taunt him. That was how she remembered Harry from her first four years at Hogwarts and all of a sudden, she was actually glad to see Harry stick up for himself again.

She was happy for him, but at the same time, she noticed Malfoy was holding tightly onto his wand, as if he was about to strike back at the Boy Who Lived. Panicked that such an assault might frighten away all the recently gained confidence from Harry, Abigail did what she thought was best.

She cursed Malfoy.

_"Petrificus Totalus!" _she whispered, pulling her wand out.

Instantly, Malfoy froze on the spot as if his body was fully bound. Abigail waited cautiously for Harry and Granger to hurry away from his frozen form before coming out of her hiding place and stepping up to him herself.

She looked directly into his face and grinned at him mischievously.

"I know you can hear me," she said, waving a hand in front of his face and smirking. His eyes, the only part of him that was free, glared at her viciously. "You didn't see that one coming, huh?"

She chuckled to herself, putting her wand back inside her robes. "Oh don't worry, it'll soon wear off. You should know - I'm sure you've used this curse many times as a Death Eater!"

Seeing his grey eyes flickering angrily back at her, Abigail's expression became serious. "Malfoy, I'm only going to warn you once. Stay away from Harry Potter or deal with the wrath of a Serpent! He's only just building his confidence again and I don't want you breaking it up. Not now."

She gazed into his silver eyes, trying to make him understand the severity of the situation. "Harry's the only one who's capable of saving us from Voldemort and I don't care if you're a Death Eater or not; you leave him alone."

She spoke sternly as she threatened him and took pleasure from the fact that Malfoy was still frozen and would remain that way for a little moment still.

"Hum," she thought aloud, a smile grazing her lips, "Now, what on earth am I going to do with you?"

"I was just about to ask the same question," a hoarse voice spoke up behind her.

She whipped around in fright to find Filch and his dreadful cat staring right back at her.

"Shit," she breathed out.

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An hour later, after being forced to pay attention to Filch, who continuously threatened her in his office, Abigail looked up the long, narrow staircase, leading up to the headmaster's office nervously. She had already been inside a few times, but it always scared her how Dumbledore behaved around her. He always stared at her from behind his half-moon spectacles as if trying to decipher her inner secrets. It was quite disturbing, especially as he seemed to keep an even closer eye on her this year.

"Ah, Abigail Serpent," he said, lifting a white bushy eyebrow at her. "Mr Filch has reported to me that you have used magic in the corridors against another student - the Head Boy in fact."

_Oh crap. I'm done for! Filch surely exaggerated the whole thing times ten. _

"You know very well that use of magic on another student is strictly forbidden, but coming from you, that does not surprise me," he continued, sitting behind his desk.

Abigail, who had been avoiding his gaze the whole time, suddenly looked up.

"Err – excuse me?" she dared to ask. Surely she hadn't broken that many rules. Of course, she had had her share of detentions and points taken off her house, but nothing in comparison to the Weasley twins.

"Well your grandmother was a troublemaker too when she was a student here. She looked and behaved just like you actually; always breaking school rules. She also thought that she was better than everybody else because she knew more about magic than the average student."

He looked at her sharply through his spectacles and she felt herself inexplicably drawn in to what he had to say. "Indeed, it comes as no great surprise that she helped Voldemort at his beginnings."

Abigail stared back at him, stunned. Her grandmother had joined forces with Voldemort? What was he going on about, that wasn't true at all!

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped back in surprise, as several of the portraits hung behind her began to stir and mumble.

"Professor Dumbledore," an old lady holding a monocle cried out indignantly. "It is not your place to say such things to the girl –"

"I do not wish to hear your opinion on the matter Calantha," Dumbledore answered sternly, still keeping his gaze fixed on Abigail.

She looked back at him incredulously. "What are you talking about?" Abigail asked, looking quizzical. "My grandmother never joined the dark side, my mother told me that she was a good witch and died saving another witch's life."

She felt her eyes grow wide in astonishment as Dumbledore laughed right back at her with wicked amusement. "She died in battle some twenty years ago, killed by an Auror - Everett Thompson, I believe."

_Killed by an Auror -? What?_

Abigail's grandmother had died when Abigail was still a baby so she had never met the woman, but her mother had always told her that she was a good witch. Hell, everyone in the Serpent family was good, or at least neutral, since no one could take sides. And yet, as she searched into Dumbledore's sparkling blue eyes, somehow she knew that every word he had said was the truth.

The realisation made her feel like someone had just doused her with an enormous bucket of ice-cold water. Her mind suddenly began to spin as thousands of questions shot through it. Why did her mother lie to her? Why had everyone kept it secret? Why and how did her grandmother join forces with Voldemort!

"No, it can't be true! She couldn't have joined sides, she would have lost all of her magic," Abigail explained, feeling her voice becoming overwhelmed with emotion. "Besides Mother wouldn't lie to me - she wouldn't!"

She was speaking more to herself than to Dumbledore, as if trying to reassure herself that it was all a lie.

The headmaster merely shrugged at her words, a quill playing between his fingers. "Well then, your mother must be a formidable liar. She certainly hasn't told you the truth; your grandmother killed many people during her time and died as she deserved to."

"How can you say that?" Abigail cried out, feeling tears sting her eyes. Several other portraits, now all awoken, whispered in agreement behind her.

Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes snapped back up at her and he slowly got to his feet, frowning deeply. "Because your grandmother taught Lord Voldemort part of her knowledge, because she was the reason why he became so strong, because she helped him kill -"

"Okay, enough!" Abigail cut him off, shaking her head as tears flowed down her face. "I believe you."

He sat back down, ruffling through some papers. He obviously had no sympathy for her and regarded her with contempt. Abigail was stunned – she had never thought he could be so harsh to one of his students! She had never seen or heard him like this before.

"Now, I must also advise you not to approach Harry Potter again. Do I make myself clear?"

"What? Not see Harry again?" she echoed, briefly thrown off by the change of subject. "But why?"

"Because you are a Serpent and as all Serpents, you are dangerous. You are a bad influence on him and I will not see you in his company again," he steamed from behind his desk.

She felt the air being sucked out of her lungs as she took in his words. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could Dumbledore say that to her? She had never known that he hated her family so much.

"But this is ridiculous!" she retorted, wiping the tears out of her eyes. "Whatever my grandmother did, my mother is a good woman and I'm a good person too. You know very well that the Serpent family can't choose sides on this war. And - I want to help Harry! He lost all confidence in himself last year and he needs someone to help him, Professor!"

The room became deathly silent after she had finished shouting. Abigail gulped unconsciously as Dumbledore looked back at her angrily.

"Considering what happened two summers ago, I do not believe you to be a good person, therefore I shall ask you once again to leave Harry alone."

Abigail jumped back at his words. _How does he know about that? How does he know that I used magic on a Muggle? _

"What? But you can't judge me on that!" she glowered, balling her hands into fists. "That man had violated some Muggle friends of mine and he deserved what he got. The Ministry agreed that it was self-defence, I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

"Miss Serpent, you used magic on a Muggle!" he responded gravely, making her step back in fear. "It is strictly against the Ministry of Magic's laws."

"I –" Abigail choked, but he cut her off.

"You use magic for your own benefit, you cannot deny it, and that makes you no more worthy than Lord Voldemort," he concluded in a very flat, very cold and very final voice.

Panic rose in Abigail's throat and the room began to spin around her as she felt hot tears touch her cheeks.

"Albus!" an old man dressed in bright robes cried out. "For Merlin's sake, think about what you are saying!"

"You are no good for Harry, you are no good to anybody," Dumbledore continued harshly. "Look at what happened to your mother, she has been driven mad because of her thirst for power and it will be your destiny some day too, Miss Serpent!"

Abigail was frozen on the spot, unable to speak. Normally, she would have fought back, she would have screamed, but Dumbledore's words about her mother and even about herself held some truth and they hurt. Her mother had obviously lied to her – she had always been thirsty for knowledge and now she had gone insane and Abigail would surely follow. Numerous questions rattled her mind and Abigail couldn't hear herself think, she couldn't even speak – she was just so confused!

Several portraits continued to cry out their protests, but Abigail did not hear them in her own confusion and Dumbledore purposely ignored them as he opened some files before him.

"I think that will be all for now."

She turned away, still speechless, as her headmaster's words sunk in. However, as she reached the door, she turned back to face him.

"Did you – did you ask the Hat to put me in Slytherin?" she finally whispered.

Dumbledore looked up at her and smiled. "Of course not Miss Serpent, you belong there."

Abigail rushed out of his office; she couldn't bear to hear anymore. She continued to run down the staircase and down the corridor to the Great Hall, stopping only to catch her breath. It had all been a lie! How her grandmother had heroically died to save the life of another, how her mother had constantly assured her that the Serpent family could not take sides in wars, how she was supposed to keep holding the family honour when Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of their time, loathed it!

It had all been a lie! Her own _mother_ had lied to her!

Abigail thought she might lose her mind. She had never known about her grandmother, she had no idea that she had played a part in the First War by helping Voldemort. How was she supposed to face Harry or Ginny now, knowing what she knew? How could she face anyone knowing what a monster her grandmother had been?

Abigail leant against the nearest stonewall and closed her eyes, praying that it was all just a dream, which would come to an end, but it wasn't. Her body suddenly began to ache and the truth finally sunk in.

_Oh Mother, why didn't you tell me? How could you keep this from me?_

Her heartbeat increased rapidly and the walls around her began to spin faster. She thought her head was swimming in nothingness and she tried to take deep breaths, but it only made things worse. Her vision blurred and her legs buckled underneath her.

All of a sudden, Abigail felt tired, so tired, as if she had not slept for days. She tried stumbling across the hallway, but the dizziness overtook her and she blacked out.

She did not see Harry, running towards her down the hall as she collapsed to the ground.

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**Please, please, please review! I need your thoughts and suggestions to carry on...**

**Next chapter, Draco's POV.**


	16. Visitor

**Author's Notes: Chapter 16 is now running! I got a lot of responses last time about Dumbledore, some people seemed even quite annoyed that he was so OOC (out of character) but 1) I did warn u all before and 2) well u will quickly understand why in the next chapter.**

**But for now chapter 16 is up. Its about Draco visiting Abigail in hospital and being a prick! They also talk about Hermione... And there's some Quidditch bits at the beginning – so what'd'ya think? Who's gonna win; Gryffindor or Slytherin?**

**Thank you for all the reviews, I even don't mind flames as long as its justified! Enjoy and review!**

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Chapter 16_  
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_Focus, focus on the match! Come on, find the damn Snitch!_

Draco watched the air like a hawk, trying to catch a glimpse of gold, whilst his mind kept drifting away.

_Come on! Potter's not here today! Slytherin can win this! _

He watched as the Weasel girl scored once again and the Gryffindors went wild in the stands.

_That's 60-20 for Gryffindor! Come on, all you have to do is find the – _

At that instant, the Golden Snitch whizzed past him and flew towards the crowd. Reacting instantly with instincts honed by years of practice, Draco zoomed after it at great speed. The Gryffindor seeker, noticing it too suddenly lunged towards the stands and followed Draco.

But it was too late, the Gryffindor was too far away to catch up and Draco's outstretched hand was mere inches from catching the Snitch. He shot past the stands, keeping his trained eye on the Snitch, which abruptly swerved and fell at great speed towards the ground, obliging Draco to follow it at neck-breaking speed. If he didn't catch it soon, he would have to abandon the chase or crash for certain to the ground.

_Come on, just a little bit more – Got it! _

His hand clasped firmly around the flying golden ball and he swooped dramatically back up into the air, causing the audience to gasp and then the Slytherins to cheer and applaud wildly.

The Slytherins had won; the match was over. They had beaten Gryffindor.

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Draco was left alone in the changing rooms after the match. He had taken his time getting changed, appreciating the silence around him. It had been wild after he had caught the Snitch, but now most of the Slytherins were back in their dungeons, celebrating their victory. Draco, however, had other things on his mind, or actually, another person in mind.

He hadn't seen Hermione at the match today and his mind kept wondering where she could have been. He got his answer as he heard someone creeping up on him from behind. Turning around abruptly, he grabbed the mysterious aggressor by the collar and slammed the person in the lockers.

"Dammit, Malfoy!" Hermione shouted at him.

Realising who it was Draco let go instantly. "Granger? What the hell are you doing here? And why were you creeping up behind me?"

"I was scared someone else might be in the locker room," she retorted, suddenly catching a glimpse of his naked torso.

Draco smirked as he realised that she was staring at his body. "This seems familiar," he whispered.

But seeing her distressed face, he knew something had happened. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning deeply at her anxious eyes.

"Malfoy, Abigail's in a coma," she blurted out in a panic. "Harry found her in the Great Hall, unconscious and when I went to see her, Snape wouldn't let either of us in. He won't tell us anything; only a Slytherin can see her. We don't even know if she's alright!"

Tears began to well up in her eyes as Draco looked stunned in return. Grabbing his black shirt, he slipped it on and temptatively put a hand on Granger's shoulder.

"Don't cry, Granger," he breathed out closing the gap between them. If she started to cry now he wouldn't have a clue as to what to do next. He always left his mother or Pansy alone when they started crying. In the end, he had no idea how to comfort them or how to comfort anyone.

"Come on," he ordered, leading her out of the changing rooms. They walked silently back to the castle and through the corridors until they reached the hospital wing. Snape was at the door, apparently guarding it.

"Stay here," he told Hermione, sitting her down on one of the benches in the hall.

"Professor Snape," he greeted.

"Draco, congratulations for the game," Snape said in return. "Are you here to see Miss Serpent? Madame Pomfrey will let only you in for the moment, seeing as you're Head Boy and Slytherin."

Draco nodded and Snape opened the door to let him in. Draco stepped inside and noticed several other students also in bed. He looked around hurriedly for Abigail and spotted one of the beds with its curtains drawn, closing it off from the rest of the hospital wing. As he made his way over, Madame Pomfrey suddenly called out to him.

"It's about time you got here, Mister Malfoy," she said harshly. "Honestly, as Head Boy, you should have been here an hour ago! But at least you're here now."

"What happened?" Draco asked.

"I have never seen anything like it," the school nurse whispered anxiously. "The girl is incredibly thin and suffering from some sort of anorexia. It is not very common in the wizarding world and Miss Serpent's case surprised me. If Mister Potter had not found her in time, Merlin knows what might have happened to her. She woke up for a bit after we stabilised her, but she has fallen asleep again. I do not understand how her friends or teachers had not noticed her illness before. Her physical appearance is enough to alarm anyone. Had you not noticed it yourself?"

"No," he lied.

Madame Pomfrey eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds, but she lead him to the bed nonetheless. "You may only stay a few minutes with her as she is still asleep. These next weeks are going to be very hard for her so I recommend that you visit frequently and help her feed herself. She needs someone by her side, someone who she may count on and who will make sure she eats."

She paused, looking intently at Draco. "I'll leave the curtains drawn," she finished, leaving him by himself.

He thought about what Madame Pomfrey had just told him and paused. Maybe he wasn't the best person to take care of Abigail, maybe someone like Hermione or Pansy would be best. He would have to tell Pomfrey when he left.

Opening the curtain slowly, he stepped in confidently. Behind it, Abigail was fast asleep on the bed; her skin had gone pale and her limbs looked very skeletal. He looked at her with a frown on his face, appalled by her appearance and the numerous magical potions lying on her bedside table.

Seeing her in such a state made Draco feel sick. It reminded him awkwardly of Voldemort's victims, those who were kept for fun and starved to death. It had often happened in his own mansion, in the dungeons although Draco had refused to attend such gatherings.

_Damn it, Abigail! How could you have done this to yourself! _

He noticed her stir and meant to leave, but her eyes fluttered open and she noticed his presence next to the bed. Her dark eyes were dull and lifeless and her face showed signs of exhaustion. However, Draco did not pity her. Even if pity had been in the Malfoy nature, to him Abigail deserved no pity as she held sole responsibility for her current state.

"What are you doing here?" she spoke in a feeble voice.

"I'm Draco Malfoy. Do I need a reason?" he answered haughtily with a smirk.

She stared back at him, her face devoid of expression.

"How do you feel?" he asked politely.

"Fine," she lied.

"Pomfrey said it's a good thing Scarhead found you in time."

"Harry," she corrected him flatly. "Is he here?"

"No," he told her, but seeing the disappointment in her eyes, he added. "He wasn't allowed to. I'm the only one Pomfrey allowed in."

"Oh."

He hated seeing her like this, but it angered him as well. How could she, a Serpent and a Slytherin - he wasn't sure which was more important in the grand scheme of pride - let herself become so weak, slowly kill herself? Why hadn't she done something about it before? Why hadn't _he_ said anything about it before? Maybe he just didn't care for her either, like everybody else. After all, his father had taught him to be that way; cold and selfish.

"I'd better go. You need to rest, I'll be back tomorrow."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Draco."

It was the first time she had called him by his first name. He nodded and made to leave, but instead she called him back.

"Could you - could you please not let Blaise in? Please?"

He nodded again and left her, closing the curtain behind. As he walked out of the hospital wing, Hermione came rushing to him, inquiring over Abigail. Potter was leaning against the wall, behind her, listening intently to Draco's response.

"She's fine," he said quickly, waving away Hermione's myriad of questions and took his leave for the Slytherin dungeons.

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The next morning, Draco was having breakfast alone and thinking about the previous day. He couldn't understand why it had bothered him so much to see Abigail in such a state. He had seen worse working for Voldemort, many of it his own handiwork, but he didn't know what to think about this sort of human suffering. In some weird way, he felt guilty that he hadn't done anything about it before, but on the other hand, he still didn't feel any pity for her. The problem was that he didn't understand why Abigail had let herself starve like that and it was so hard for him to help her. Never before had he helped someone in his life, but never before had anyone in his entourage suffered like this. He didn't even remember ever going to hospital to see any of his Slytherin friends when they were sick. Granger was right; he really was a selfish bastard!

He picked at his waffles, deep in thought, and finally decided that it wasn't up to him to help Abigail; he had no reason to. Besides, if he didn't help her, Granger or the Weasel girl would; it wasn't as if she didn't have anybody else.

But suddenly, as he reached his decision, having finished his breakfast, an incredible pain shot through his head accompanied by a loud screeching noise; a voice!

_Draco! Help me!_

Looking around the Great Hall, he realised no one else seemed to have heard it. Not many people were around so early in the morning and the students who were up continued eating their breakfast as usual, paying no attention to him. The voice hadn't come from someone in the hall; it had been inside his head!

Draco suddenly froze in his seat. He didn't know of any spells that could make wizards or witches speak in someone else's mind, therefore what in Salazar's name had just happened? Was he going mad? Had it all been his imagination? Maybe it was simply lack of sleep or the constant pressure he was under that he caused him to hallucinate.

But something else bothered him. The voice had seemed familiar to him, he recognised it, knew it from somewhere. Standing up from the Slytherin table, he walked out of the Great Hall, struggling to remember who the voice belonged to.

And then it hit him - Abigail! It was her voice that had shouted in his head, and without hesitation he ran off to the hospital wing, forgetting all about his previous decision to leave her to Hermione.

As he reached the infirmary, he heard shouts coming from inside. Opening the door cautiously, he suddenly felt something collide into his chest.

It was Abigail.

"Malfoy!" she exclaimed, looking panicked. She was only wearing the usual white hospital gown and her usual sleek black hair looked messy and wild. "Thank Merlin, I knew you'd come! Pomfrey's gone nuts! They want to keep me here for the next two weeks, but I'm fine, I'm fine - tell them I'm fine!"

She spoke very quickly and out of breath, her dark eyes wide with dread, but before he could answer her, Pomfrey and Snape appeared behind her and dragged her back to her bed by her arms.

"Now stop this fuss, Miss Serpent! It's for your own good!" Pomfrey scolded her, whilst tightly holding onto her arm.

Snape, on the other hand, looked beyond annoyed. "Miss Serpent, if you continue this tantrum, I will be obliged to take points off Slytherin. And trust me, you don't want to make me take off points from my own house!"

They pushed her back on the bed and Draco noticed that Snape was summoning invisible binds around her limbs. Seeing the pleading look on Abigail's face, he decided to say something.

"Madame Pomfrey, surely you don't need to strap her to the bed," he argued, approaching the hospital bed.

"I caught her smoking this morning, Mr Malfoy," the nurse replied, looking at him sternly through her glasses. "And ever since she woke up, she's been trying to escape the hospital wing."

"But she looks better," Draco admitted, noticing that Abigail had recovered her brown complexion and overall looked a lot healthier. He was actually glad to see her full of energy rather than feeble and tired like the previous day. "I'm sure you don't need to keep her here for another two weeks!"

Madame Pomfrey pulled out a wand from her pocket. "She has been using glamour charms on herself last night to alter her physical appearance. Merlin knows where she learnt them, but believe me when I say that she is far from well!" With a flick of her expert wrist she stripped away the glamour charms, revealing the painful apparition that had caused Draco to wince yesterday. Draco looked hopelessly back to his Head of House, but Snape merely shook his head at him. Hearing the thrashing and writhing intensify behind them, Draco spun around and watched as Abigail helplessly tried to free herself from Snape's binds.

"Let me go, you old hag!" she shouted angrily. "You have no idea how ridiculous this is; I'm perfectly fine. I don't need your help!"

Draco winced at the insult, feeling both Pomfrey and Snape's anger escalate a couple of notches. Pomfrey's face had turned crimson at her words and Draco decided that it was best to keep his mouth shut.

"Now you listen here young lady," Pomfrey commented hotly, "you will stay where you are until you are fully recovered and I don't care if it takes days, weeks or months!"

The school nurse took a few steps forward and pointed her finger menacingly at Abigail. "You are suffering from one of the most dangerous forms of anorexia – a completely unconscious aversion to taking care of yourself, which is consequently very difficult to treat! Until you admit it and eat your meals three times a day, I will not give you permission to leave the hospital wing!"

She stomped off into her office, slamming the door behind her and Draco then turned to Snape, who shook his head and marched off in the same manner out of the infirmary.

"If I had known that you were such a baby, I wouldn't have come," Draco finally taunted, lifting his eyebrow amused.

"Well, since you were no help to me at all, you can leave now," Abigail said glaring back at him, unamused.

She wriggled on the soft bed, trying to make herself comfortable although the straps kept her down firmly. Her bedside table had been cleared of all bottles, giving way to an empty tray of food. At least she was eating again.

Draco's smile soon faded giving way to his trademark emotionless smirk as he suddenly thought about the voice inside his head.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"What?" Abigail answered casually, avoiding his silver gaze.

Draco didn't miss a beat. "Your voice in my head."

He took a step closer, peering into her eyes. He was already thinking about the future, about _his_ future - if she ever opened up to him. If she ever told him more about her magic, taught him her secrets; then he would become his own master as he had always wanted. He would curse Voldemort and his father to hell for everything they had put him through and then, he would do what ever he wanted with his destiny.

"Family secret," she retorted, holding his stare.

"Why me?"

"Who else?"

"There are other people who care about you," he corrected her. "Granger, Weasel girl, Potter."

"Are you saying you care about me too?" she asked puzzled.

Draco stepped up to her, towering over her figure. His silver eyes continued to bore into hers.

"My offer still stands." His voice dropped lower. "I can give you the one thing you desire the most, but in return you must tell me about some of your secrets."

Abigail's stare turned icy. "Get out."

Draco smirked down at her and turned away, ready to leave. He knew that any second now, she would shout out say -

"You don't know what I want!"

_Bingo!_

"You've already told me – friend," Draco replied slyly.

"But – but I didn't think that was possible! Even you don't have that sort of influence!" she exclaimed from her bed.

"We shall soon find out then," he finished as he started to walk out.

As he made to leave the hospital wing, Abigail suddenly shouted out across the room from her bed. He was startled to hear that she was continuing their conversation, but he soon turned around as her words hit him.

"Why are you so interested in the Serpent books?" she demanded curiously. It didn't seem to bother her that other students were around, though most were sound asleep or drugged with potions.

"Is it because of him? – Voldemort? Is it him that's driving you to discover what you can about them?"

At her words, Draco paled. How dare she speak his name in public, especially to him? And how dare she guess that fact so easily? He quickly walked back to her bed, closing the curtains around her.

"Never say his name in my presence," he warned her dangerously.

"Why, are you scared of him?" she taunted him.

He glared back at her, but quickly added, "No, but I don't want people to have the wrong idea."

Abigail snorted at his words. "Oh come on, everybody knows you're a Death Eater."

She stopped abruptly as realisation seemed to hit her and she suddenly smiled to herself. "Is that what you were arguing about with Granger?"

Draco froze at her words.

"Is she trying to save you from the Dark side?"

His eyes darkened in anger as she continued to speak and she quickly stopped, noticing the sudden change in his face.

"Who's Granger to you anyway? You still haven't explained that," he whispered to her dangerously.

Abigail shifted her body weight uncomfortably on the bed as she spoke, but she felt a glimmer of satisfaction that Blaise had kept her secret. "And I have my reasons not to."

As she settled down again, she stared into Malfoy's eyes for a while before she spoke up again.

"You should stay away from her," she cautioned.

"Why?" he asked amused.

"Because you've already harmed her enough and it will lead to no good," she reminded him, with a worried expression on her face.

He turned away from her uneasy. "You're talking nonsense. Nothing will ever happen with the Mud-"

"You already admitted it once," she cut him off. "So what are you going to do about it? I bet she's already asked you to join the other side."

Draco's head snapped back at her.

_How the hell does she know all this?_

"Is that what you're going to do, Draco? Join Dumbledore, go from one leader to the next?" she demanded.

He broke from her gaze betraying his answer.

"I thought not," she added.

Abigail looked at him with compassion as her dark eyes bore into his own. She seemed to read him like a book. "You're better than that Draco. You don't need Voldemort or Dumbledore, you can be so much better than that. You're the Dragon after all."

"What?" Draco asked.

_Did she say the Dragon? _

"Never mind," she quickly answered. "But just think on what I said. You don't need anyone to decide for you; you must decide for yourself what your own path will be."

He looked at her silently for a while before leaving. It was weird how Abigail continuously surprised him, either by her words or actions. It was like she knew what was going to happen, what he was supposed to do, when he obviously didn't have a clue. However, she hadn't told him anything new, she had only spoken out loud how he felt deep inside.

But what about Hermione? Was it true that he shouldn't see her again? Could it be true that she was doing all this only so that he would switch sides? Was she possibly only playing with him like he had done with so many others? Was it all just a fraud?

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**Next chapter : Hermione talks to Draco on where they stand... no R rating yet ! Abigail gets a letter about her mother and u guys learn more about Dumbledore!**

**Also look out for the next chapters as... more action from the Serpent and the Death-Eaters, more from Voldemort and most important... mushiness definitely coming up between DH. It does take some time but hey... we all know its never that easy to get with someone!**

**There will be a definite R-rating sometime soon, hopefully. Also, I have recently planned out future chapters and this fic should go on for another 10 chapters at least! Joy!**

**Your reviews make my day, so you know what to do! So click on the review button!**


	17. Related

**Author's Notes: Hello! I thought to put this chapter up this weekend but ran out of time. I saw Emma Watson yesterday lighting Oxford street lights in London. It was really cool!**

**Here's the chapter, enjoy!**

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Chapter 17

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Hermione was beyond anxious. She had spent the past few days worrying over Abigail and her health problems. The professors had not been very informative about her recovery and Malfoy had also been very evasive on the subject. Every day, straight after classes, she went to the infirmary to see Abigail, hoping to finally be let in, but to no avail. A week later, she noticed Malfoy walking out of the double doors. He had been the only one to see Abigail since the incident, but barely spent five minutes each day with her.

"Hey," she greeted, approaching him, "So, how is she?"

"She'll be okay," Malfoy said casually. "She's desperate to get out, but Pomfrey won't let her. She's even tried to use magic to escape."

Hermione smiled at the news. "That somehow doesn't surprise me."

"You can go in now," he said sharply and turned to leave.

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. What was wrong with Malfoy? Why couldn't he act like a normal teenager once in a while? Why was he suddenly being all arrogant again with her? Hadn't they resolved that problem last time? Hadn't he genuinely smiled last time they had met?

"Malfoy, wait," she said, catching up with him. "What's wrong with you? Why are you ignoring me these past few days?"

He shrugged and made to leave, but she held him back.

"Talk to me!" she said exasperated.

She watched as he looked around, making sure no one else was in the corridor before he spoke.

"There's nothing to say, Granger," he began in a whisper. "You helped me realise certain things and that's the end of it."

Hermione was shocked at his words. "That's the end of it?" she repeated in disbelief. "But what about the rest?"

He looked down at her face in confusion.

"What about us?" she continued, looking deep into his eyes and noticing his struggle with his emotions.

"There never was an 'us'."

Although her face didn't show it, his words had cut her deeply. But at the same time, she felt so confused around Malfoy. Why was she even bothering with him after what he had done to her? How could she still have feelings for him when she couldn't even forgive him?

Sensing no reaction from her, Draco smirked.

"Whatever happened, it's over Granger. You will never forgive me for what I did to you," he told her, as if reading her mind.

"But I still need you," she cried out faintly to him.

He looked at her amused and her heart sunk as she realised how lightly he took her feelings. "What could a Gryffindor possibly want from a Slytherin?"

Hermione remained silent. She didn't know what to say, she was so confused that no answer came to her lips.

"We shouldn't be seen together from now on."

Having made his point, Draco turned on his heel, walked down the corridor and finally disappeared out of sight.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione went back to the infirmary and entered through the double doors. She decided that she would deal with Malfoy later. She would deal with him once she had cleared the mess inside her head. Madame Pomfrey came out of her office and greeted Hermione warmly, answering every question she had about Abigail's health. It was a surprise after Madame Pomfrey's long insistence that she was not allowed to see Abigail, but Hermione assumed that Draco must have had something to do with it.

"Yes, my dear, Miss Serpent is quite fine as long as she continues to eat every meal," Madame Pomfrey reassured her. "Oh and I also have a question for you. I've been meaning to ask Malfoy about it, but as you're here – do you have any knowledge of Abigail's parents' whereabouts? I think they should be warned about her state and it is usually my job to contact the family, however every owl I have sent has been unable to deliver my letters."

Hermione froze as she heard Pomfrey's question. She smiled faintly, thinking desperately of an answer.

"No, I know nothing," she finally managed to articulate.

Madame Pomfrey smiled politely and finally showed her to Abigail's bed, but the Slytherin girl scowled as soon as she saw Hermione.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she complained.

Hermione's eyes looked her over and she was pleased to see that Abigail looked fairly well and seemed to have gained a little weight.

"Nice to see you too, Abby," Hermione said coolly. "I'd thought you'd be glad to see someone else apart from Malfoy."

Abigail actually managed to crack a smile. "Yeah well, he's been making sure that I finish all my meals. He's even threatened me a few times to force food down my throat."

Hermione frowned at her words and sat uneasily on the nearby chair. She opened her mouth several times to talk about Abigail's parents, but quickly shut it, pondering about her choice of words.

A long silence followed until she finally blurted out. "Madame Pomfrey asked me where your parents were so she can tell them about your situation."

Abigail's face fell into a stony expression. "Well I'd think you're the best person to ask about the whereabouts of my mother," she answered icily.

"And your father?" Hermione dared to ask.

"Malfoy mansion," she announced darkly.

Hermione's eyes opened wide at the revelation. "What?"

Abigail sighed as she readjusted her pillows. "Yeah, my father had the good idea of spending some time with the beloved Lucius Malfoy. But don't worry, I intend on going to see him soon."

Hermione looked back at her, confused. How could she feel so relaxed about this? But she decided not to question her more.

"Oh, Harry will come by soon," she suddenly remembered to tell Abigail.

Again a smile broke on Abby's face. "Oh, good - and what about Ginny?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but stopped short. She actually hadn't seen Ginny for a few days. Surely, the red head had been spending extra time with her latest boyfriend. But before she could say so, an owl swooped into the infirmary room and landed on Abigail's bed, a letter tied to its leg.

Abigail looked at it expectantly. "Well it's about time Father wrote to me," she muttered to herself.

She gave some bread crust to the bird, tore the letter open and began to read it. Hermione stroked the elegant bird, and then looked up sharply as she heard Abigail gasp.

"Oh Merlin!" she said faintly.

Hermione watched as Abigail's face paled and suddenly broke into a smile and tears. She squealed in joy, scaring the owl away and then hugged Hermione with all her might.

"Hermione! They transferred her!" she exclaimed with difficulty, her voice tight with emotion. "They transferred my mother to St Mungo's hospital. He did it! That arrogant prat actually did it!"

Hermione instantly knew who she was talking about as she took the letter out of Abby's hand and read for herself the official statement from St Mungo's hospital announcing the arrival of their new patient, Selena Serpent. She looked back at the letter, stunned, as Abigail cried some more. She felt so happy for her.

"Hermione!" the Slytherin suddenly blurted out. "Please, please, please ask McGonagall or even Snape for me if I can go visit her this week. You know as Head Girl, I'm sure they'll agree if you ask them. Oh please!"

Hermione immediately agreed to see McGonagall after her Transfiguration class. After all, it was her family that was responsible for Selena's Serpent bad treatment, and now, she owed it to Abigail to help.

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Several hours later, Hermione left the infirmary and headed towards McGonagall's office. She had left just as Harry had arrived to see Abigail, leaving the pair alone together. It was a good thing Malfoy had kept Blaise from visiting Abigail, as he would surely have caused trouble otherwise, and this way Harry and Abigail could talk in peace.

Reaching the office, Hermione knocked and walked in. It was a very clean and organised room and several students were sitting silently at desks by the door, probably in detention. McGonagall smiled as she saw her favourite student and summoned her in.

"What can I do for you, Miss Granger?" she asked brightly.

"It's about Abigail Serpent, Professor," Hermione began and noticed McGonagall's smile drop as she spoke. "She received a letter not long ago about her mother being transferred to St Mungo's and-"

"I know," the professor cut her off. "Professor Dumbledore warned me by post this morning. I expect Miss Serpent is eager to see her mother."

_By post? Isn't he in school? _

But Hermione didn't mention it. "Yes Professor. If you could only let her go a day, maybe this weekend then she would be immensely grateful," she continued to explain.

McGonagall sat back down at her desk and waved her off. "Yes, yes I know. The Headmaster has already agreed."

Hermione smiled brightly at the news.

"On one condition." Her smile faltered a little. McGonagall leaned forward a little, speaking in an undertone.

"Abigail is to go this weekend accompanied by yourself and it must be kept secret. No one must know of this special favour, do you understand?" she asked sternly.

Hermione nodded hurriedly and thanked McGonagall many times.

"Professor, one more thing," she dared to ask. "Why would the Headmaster tell you by post, surely he would have told you in person."

McGonagall smiled faintly at the question. "Professor Dumbledore has been absent for more than ten days now in case you hadn't noticed, but has been informing me of his affairs by post."

Hermione thought about what her teacher had said. Dumbledore was absent? But that couldn't be right... She hadn't seen him for a while at meals, but he didn't eat with the students nowadays anyway.

"But Professor McGonagall," she spoke up again in a whisper. "Abigail came out of the Headmaster's office before she fell into a coma and Harry, himself, was told by the Professor to get her to the infirmary."

McGonagall's face fell as she listened to Hermione. She stood up quickly and brought Hermione aside, away from the students scratching away gloomily at the desks.

"Are you sure of this, Miss Granger?" she asked with a worried expression. "Professor Dumbledore has been away to deal with matters concerning the Order. He couldn't have come back to Hogwarts without notifying me or another member of the staff."

Hermione nodded at her professor's words. "I'm sure," she whispered.

The Headmistress's face suddenly became an anxious one. "I have to warn Albus. Please do not tell a soul about this, as the Headmaster was not officially away due to the circumstances. That will be all, Miss Granger."

Hermione left her office even more bewildered as all sorts of questions shot through her head. Who did Harry and Abigail see that day if it wasn't Dumbledore?

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**What do you think? Don't worry about Draco and Hermione, next chapter's events will bring them very closely together, hint, hint! **

**Thank you for reviewing!**


	18. St Mungo's

**Author's Notes: Right chapter 18 up! I can't believe I'm at 18 already! I'm warning you now, this is a sad and quite horrible chapter, you'll understand…**

**Otherwise do not worry about Hermione and Draco they'll be back together next chapter…**

**Before the story, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. It was brilliant, I love your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belongs entirely to J. K. Rowling. Characters you don't recognise belong to me.**

**Big great thank you to:**

**Starlight-heart: Hey so glad you enjoy it! For the making up bit you'll have to wait for the next chapter but for now enjoy seeing Abigail face her worst fear…**

**May: Hey new chapter up! You'll find out much more about Abigail in this one but for Dumbledore you'll have to wait. Muchos kudos for the reviews!**

**AngelSerpent91: Fluff will be in next chappie, I promise! For now enjoy the action, plot develops incredibly here!**

**Tom-felton-luver1-2-2: Thank you for putting me down as favourite author. I'm also a tom felton lover!**

**AngelicGoddess-91: I can't believe you nearly fainted! Its really impressive to see how my story affects people! Plenty more exciting action in this chapter, tell me what you think!**

**Roguish muse: Thank you SO much for your faithful reviews! Read on for St Mungo's, discover what really happened to Abigail's mother and all the consequences it has!**

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Chapter 18

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She couldn't believe it! She couldn't fucking believe it! Draco Malfoy had obtained the Ministry's permission to transfer Selena Serpent, her mother, to St Mungo's hospital. She didn't know how he had managed it and she didn't care so long as her mother could get proper treatment for her illness. Her father had always reassured her that everything would be all right as long as her mother was accepted into St Mungo's, which the Ministry was formally against.

Abigail watched as Hermione left to talk to McGonagall and her next visitor walked into the infirmary.

_Damn, it's Harry! Oh Merlin, what am I going to say to him? _

She hadn't seen the Boy Who Lived since the incident and now she couldn't help feeling awful around him because of her meeting with Dumbledore. She suddenly felt ashamed of what her grandmother had done. Harry would hate her if he ever knew about it. She couldn't tell him, but she couldn't continue being his friend either; it was just wrong, after all her family had put him through!

"Hi," he greeted her softly as he examined her. She could feel his emerald green eyes scrutinising her face.

He sat on the chair beside her bed and watched her eat.

"Hi… thank you for - for - well, you know," Abigail answered softly as she put her fork down.

She couldn't bear to look into his eyes. Hell, she couldn't find the courage to even look at him.

"You scared me the other day," he said quietly. "When I saw you collapse like that in the hall, I didn't know what to do."

Abigail froze at his words. She didn't know how to react. As she remained silent, Harry continued.

"You were as light as a feather," he said calmly.

It worried her how calm he seemed. He sat back in his chair and seemed to watch her as a hawk whilst she ate. It made her sick and nervous that _he_ should be so worried about her, but the thought also made her smile. No one in Slytherin seemed to care about her like that.

"It's okay, Harry, I'm fine! No need to stare at me like that!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking into his questioning eyes.

This time, it was her turn to look at him and as she did so, she realised just how much he had changed. The fragile boy she had met in the trophy room no longer seemed so scared or weak. His Gryffindor bravery was coming back to him and so was his strength. He had practiced Quidditch for hours on by himself the two weeks prior to the match and, according to Hermione, he had continued the past week. It apparently kept his mind off things and helped him relax. He had changed so much, hell, he had even confronted Malfoy the other day and Abigail was glad that she had helped him no matter what Dumbledore thought.

"Hermione should be back soon," Abigail said quietly, as if giving him his cue to leave.

Harry, however, didn't move and simply looked at her. All kinds of emotions seemed to pass through those stunning green eyes; sorrow, confusion, worry, - forgiveness.

"Mind going for a walk?" he asked holding out his hand.

Abigail looked at it, dumbstruck. "Are you kidding? Pomfrey will murder me!"

"Oh come on. It never stopped you before," he said, raising his brow amused. "Besides we won't be long and fresh air will do you good."

A smile crept on Abigail's face at his words. The boy was definitely mad! If they ever got caught, well - she didn't even want to think about the consequences.

He grinned back and helped her out of bed. Abigail was still wearing her white hospital gown, but she didn't care. As they walked out of the infirmary, she stopped him.

"Aren't you scared we'll be seen together?" she asked nervously. "I don't mean the teachers, I mean Blaise or – Ron?"

Harry chuckled softly at her words. "We'll keep far away from Blaise and as for Ron, I'll sort him out."

**************..~**~..**

* * *

Hours later, they were both lying down on the grass by the lake, looking up at the greyish-blue cloudy sky. The weather was quite miserable, but Abigail didn't care; she was having a good time. She had been eagerly talking with Harry for the past few hours about everything and anything she could think of.

"So what kind of music do you like?" Abigail suddenly asked him, staring up at the threatening grey clouds.

"I don't know," Harry replied truthfully. "I've never really listened to music."

Abigail sat up abruptly, goggling at him in astonishment. "WHAT? Not even Muggle music?"

Harry shook his head, a smile on his lips.

"Oh Merlin, no wonder you're depressed all the time!"

"Hey, shut up!" Harry laughed out as he pushed her away gently.

"I mean come on, you've never even listened to the Thrashing Hippogriffs!" she teased him, before falling back down on the grass. "Merlin's beard, tell me you've at least heard of the Weird Sisters?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course I have! Right now my turn to ask… err, what's your middle name?"

"Oh there's nothing cool about my middle name. All the women in my family are given the same; it's the name of our family ancestor, Alexia."

Harry faked looking impressed and earned himself a playful punch in the shoulder. Abigail soon got up, cleaning the grass off of her gown. "I should go back now before they send out a search party for me. Besides it's about to rain."

She looked at the sky and muttered to herself. "It's always raining in this bloody country."

"What, you don't like English weather?" he teased her, getting up himself.

"I prefer where I live," she answered simply, using his arm for support as they walked back to the castle.

"And where's that?" Harry asked.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," she replied in a playful tone.

Abigail laughed as Harry lifted both arms in surrender. As she grabbed his arm back for support, he bent down and softly kissed her on the cheek. The touch of his lips made Abigail tremble and she smiled warmly to him.

"Thanks for the walk."

Her dark eyes locked with his own and she suddenly felt overcome by a strange feeling, watching a torrent of emotions flash through Harry's emerald green eyes. Never before had she**** felt so strongly about someone and it scared her.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

"Where the hell have you been?" Hermione asked them impatiently as they stepped into the infirmary. "I was worried sick and so was Pomfrey!"

Abigail quickly returned to her bed as Harry answered Hermione's questions. It surprised her how he managed to soothe the Head Girl.

"You -" Hermione continued with authority, pointing at Abigail. "You are one lucky girl! McGonagall agreed to let you go to St Mungo's, but I have to go with you and no one else must know about it."

Her words had the effect of a bomb on Abby.

_They've done it! Oh Merlin! I'm finally going to see her! I'm going to see Mother! _

She stayed numb for a few seconds before the biggest smile ever spread across her face.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

"Welcome to St Mungo's. What can I do for you?" the receptionist asked in a bored tone.

"Hello," Abigail said eagerly, ignoring the receptionist's apathy. "We're here to see Selena Serpent."

"Fourth floor, the long-term residents ward," she replied, checking a long piece of parchment pinned on the wall behind her. "Next!"

Abigail looked back at Hermione in confusion.

_Long-term? What's Mother doing in the long-term ward? _

They looked at the floor guide next to the elevators and read: _Fourth Floor – SPELL DAMAGE (unliftable jinxes, hexes, incorrectly applied charms, etc). _That didn't really explain anything to Abigail, but she let it slide. She was finally going to see her mother, and she wasn't going to let anything bring her down.

It had been two days since Hermione had told Abby that she could go visit her mother. Since then, the Slytherin girl had remained in the hospital wing, spending time with her friends, including Ginny, although she never got a chance to thank Draco.

Eventually, the two girls had travelled to St Mungo's by means of a Portkey McGonagall had made for them. They had queued for a while before reaching the receptionist, and Hermione could see that Abigail was already looking fatigued.

"We better take the lift then," Hermione announced, giving her a reassuring smile. "Come on."

As they reached the fourth floor, Abigail looked around for the long-term residents' ward and finally spotted the Janus Thickey ward. No Healer or mediwizard was around, so the two girls slowly pushed open the door, Abigail's eyes desperately searching for her mother.

The room was quiet and contained many beds, each with their curtains drawn around them. Abigail quickly walked from bed to bed, reading the names off the medical parchment at the foot of each bed and finally found her mother.

Taking a deep breath she pulled the curtains back slowly; as she finally caught sight of what lay behind them, she gasped. Abigail had not laid eyes upon her mother since she had disappeared the previous summer and the sight before her looked nothing like the woman she remembered; it was unbearable.

Her once sweet and beautiful mother was lying down on white sheets, staring out into nothingness. Her eyes were bloodshot and wide opened, avidly fixed upon a vacant point in space. Her face was deadly pale and drawn from obvious lack of sleep. Her once long and shiny hair was pulled back into a bun and had lost its powerful raven colour, turning shades of grey. But the worst was her mother's body, which looked very thin and fragile. There was still an astonishing similarity between this wasted woman and her daughter, but that was lost on Abigail. However, she did immediately notice the high number of bruises on her mother's arms and the bones protruding from her pale skin as if she had not eaten for days. As she took a step closer, she suddenly realised that her mother was strapped to the bed with leather binds.

_Merlin…_

Abigail approached her mother cautiously, her eyes unwilling to believe that the broken and skinny woman before her was really her mother. No words could describe the flow of emotions that were boiling inside her, nor the inevitable pain she felt that very moment.

Her mind had gone numb with shock. Taking another step, she reached her mother's bed and looked at her for a long time, taking in all the details of her horrific physique, although none of it seemed to sink in.

_Oh Mum, what happened? What have they done to you?_

After a few minutes of silence, the patient seemed to acknowledge Abigail's presence. She looked up and although Abigail desperately searched her eyes for emotion, she found none. They were lifeless and it was truly terrifying. Those once bright and powerful eyes…

"Your smile is broken," her mother suddenly exclaimed. Her voice was hoarse and toneless.

"Mum – Mother," Abby finally stammered, reaching out for her hand. It was rough and covered with cuts. Some of her fingers were banded together, obviously broken, and her soft, pink skin had gradually turned purple from the bruises.

Abigail stroked it none the less, looking eagerly into her mother's lifeless eyes, desperately seeking for some sign of recognition. "Mother, it's me," she spoke up. "It's Abigail."

But all her mother did was stare at the white ceiling above her, gaping into thin air.

"Beware of goblins my dear," she suddenly whispered in the same voice. "They are nasty little creatures. Did you know that?"

Abigail looked dumbstruck back at her mother. What had she said? Goblins?

"The unicorn agrees. He says goblins are horrible little buggers," she continued before humming a tune to herself, still eerily staring at the ceiling. Abigail slowly looked around her at the room. It was empty except for the other patients; Hermione had left, patiently waiting outside.

Fearing the worst had come true; Abigail's heart sank.

"There's no unicorn here, Mother," she answered quietly, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Of course there is dear. Look, it's eating an apple off that tree." Her large lifeless eyes, however, continued to stare at the ceiling.

In her despair, Abigail suddenly shook her mother.

"Mother, stop it. You're scaring me!" she cried out frantically.

At the same time, Hermione suddenly came back in. "Abigail, the healer is here. He wants to talk to you."

The Slytherin turned away from her mother slowly, her eyes were red and her face glistened with tears, which she wiped off with the back of her hand. She walked to the door of the ward where the healer waited for her.

"What happened to her?" she asked sharply, trying to regain control of herself.

The healer looked back at her with compassion. "I am sorry, Miss Serpent, but according to the Muggle hospital, your mother is in the same condition as when they found her this summer. We tried our best to heal her, but nothing has changed and I'm afraid her condition never will. All we could find out was that she has been somewhat - tortured."

Abigail's dark eyes opened wide with surprise. "Tortured?" And she immediately looked back at her mother on the hospital bed.

The healer continued with difficulty, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm not too sure how to tell you this, but the Cruciatus curse seems to have been repeatedly used on your mother until it drove her mad. She is suffering the same fate as the Longbottoms and we still do not know how to cure it. Unless we find a counter curse, your mother cannot be cured - I am so sorry."

It took all of Abigail's strength not to crumble to the ground as his words sunk in. Her mother was lost and they had no cure. The emotions that passed through Abigail as reality hit her were indescribable. She desperately wanted to wake up from this terrible nightmare, but she couldn't. Her mother had been tortured and driven to madness and she would never again be the same person Abigail had missed so much.

However, her mother's illness also meant that the Serpent family was in danger. At any time Selena Serpent, leader of the family, in her insanity, could use spells or reveal family secrets that no one could ever know about. It was Abigail's duty to protect her mother from further harm and her family as well.

Waiting for the healer to leave, Abigail approached the hospital bed, taking out her wand and took her mother's hand in her own.

"Abigail, what are you doing?" Hermione cried out, looking at the girl in surprise.

"It won't hurt her," she answered back.

She lowered her wand to the top of her mother's head. "I'm here to protect you now," she whispered in her ear before adding, "_Protego Alexia!_"

Instantly a dark green light flared from Abigail's wand and fell over her mother's body, surrounding it completely. It wrapped her like a cocoon, shining intensely for several seconds until it progressively disappeared. Her mother did not move an inch, she barely seemed to have sensed the spell at all. It was an old family protective spell that would prevent Abigail's mother from remembering anything about the Serpent books, but which also protected her from further harm. It was the law in the Serpent family; if one fell, then she was a danger to the others and so her memory had to be altered.

However, as Abigail put her wand back in her pocket, without warning, her mother suddenly snapped her head in her daughter's direction.

Her eyes were instantly filled with pain and terror. Never before had Abigail seen them like that and it frightened her. She backed away, but suddenly the leather binds vanished in thin air and her mother grabbed hold of her arm forcing her to step closer.

"Abigail!" she cried out, catching her daughter's attention.

Abigail froze on the spot. Her mother's panicked voice and desperate tone were terrifying and the display of wandless magic astounding. "Abigail! Beware of the Death Eaters, beware of those who follow the Dark Lord!" she screeched loudly, pulling forcefully at her daughter's arm.

Hermione gasped loudly behind her. Abigail's mother, still in a complete state of panic, suddenly rose up in her bed and spun around to look behind her.

"They found me! They're coming for me! They found me out!" Before Abigail could react, her mother cupped her daughter's face in her hands, her black eyes looking desperately and yet also lovingly at her. "I failed Abby! I'm so sorry Abby – so sorry!"

Looking once again behind her, she brandished an invisible wand and shouted. "_Protego Alexia!_"

The spell didn't seem to work. "_Protego Alexia! Protego Alexia!_"

Frightened, Selena Serpent then tried to run away, pushing Abby out of her way and trying to jump off her bed "It's not working, Abby, it's not working! The ancestors have failed me! They're going to get me, they -"

But her words gave way to a horrendous scream, which made Abigail's hairs stand on end and her blood run cold. Horrified, she watched as her mother squirmed and writhed in torture before her.

"Those horrible red eyes – red eyes!" she screeched. "He's going to kill me! Help me, Abby! Help me!"

She screamed in agony once more, her body writhing under the pain caused by the recognisable Cruciatus curse. Alarmed by the screams, several healers came rushing in, pushing Abigail out of their way as they attempted to calm her mother down. The Slytherin girl, in a complete state of shock, looked back helplessly at her mother as she continued to scream, still reliving her torture.

It was the most shuddering and frightening experience Abigail had ever had. Her mother pleading for her help, warning her against the Death Eaters, her family protective spell failing her and finally He Who Must Not Be Named torturing her into insanity. The bundle of emotions boiling within Abigail suddenly gave way to rage. All of a sudden everything became clear in her head and she knew exactly what to do. Her already dark eyes turned black as her mind began planning her revenge.

"Voldemort!" she spat out.

Hermione, spotting the sudden change in her, realised what her intentions were and quickly ran by her side to stop her.

"Abby, no!"

But she was too late. The Serpent heir disapparated from St Mungo's hospital and out of her reach.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

As Abigail fought her way towards Hogwarts castle, having Apparated to Hogsmeade, she was deeply lost in her thoughts and unaware of her surroundings. Her mind swirled with the pain and anger she was feeling from seeing the state of her mother and knowing that it was all due to Voldemort, whom her family had never taken a stand against.

As her mind thought about the last few days at Hogwarts, -

_"My offer still stands. I can give you the one thing you desire the most and in return you tell me about some of your secrets." _

…Malfoy's lies about the Death Eaters not being responsible for her mother's madness…

_"Unless we find a counter curse, your mother cannot be cured." _

_"I failed Abby! I'm so sorry Abby – so sorry!" _

…and her mother's screams echoed in her ears…

_"He's going to kill me! Help me, Abby! Help me!" _

…all Abigail could do was march on.

As she finally reached the castle grounds, her black angry eyes darted from student to student in search of a blond-haired Slytherin. She finally spotted him talking to Blaise outside the castle doors.

"MALFOY! You son of a bitch!"

Caught off guard, the Slytherin Prince stumbled backwards as the Serpent heir hit him in the face.

Her mind had gone blank with rage, which increased as she saw Malfoy smirking back at her with a bloody nose. She grabbed the front of his robes and pushed him with all her might against the wall. She wanted to hit him again, forgetting completely about her wand, but someone stopped her. Two strong arms held her back as she continued to scream at Malfoy.

"You knew! You knew about my mother and you didn't even fucking tell me! The Death Eaters are responsible for my mother's state and you bastards are going to pay!"

**************..~**~..**

* * *

**Poor Abby, I'm not making it easy for her, am I?**

**Right next few chapters, a lot happens. Voldemort will be back, Christmas Ball is coming up and Abigail will eventually go to Malfoy Manor for her father. But we're nowhere near the end yet though, I've planned for another ten chapters… and this story might even have a sequel… what do you think?.**

**Take care and review people, thanx!**


	19. Comfort

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his magical world belongs entirely to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Notes: I'm updating early! And as you're all impatient to know what's about to happen to Malfoy, read on….**

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Chapter 19

* * *

Draco watched as Zabini held Abigail back before she could hit him again. Her punch had been surprisingly strong – she'd almost blown the living daylights out of him – but he wasn't surprised by her reaction and had even expected it.

Yes, Draco knew that Selena Serpent had been tortured by the Death Eaters. St Mungo's hospital had warned him that she suffered from the same symptoms as the Longbottoms, and he'd drawn to the conclusion that she'd also suffered the same abuse. She was probably the powerful witch he had seen them torturing into madness the previous summer. He hadn't known her name then, arriving late to the meeting, but when he thought back, it all made sense. It was that same night that he had decided to put a stop to these degrading ceremonies.

And now, Selena Serpent's only daughter was out for revenge. He watched as she tried desperately to break free from Zabini's hold. It seemed to anger her even more that Draco's cold, steel-grey eyes held her menacing stare.

"You're gonna pay Malfoy! I'll kill you for this! You Death Eaters are all fucking dead!" she yelled at him.

"MISS SERPENT!" a voice roared and suddenly Snape, fuming with rage, appeared from behind the castle's large front doors and grabbed her arm, hoisting her away from Draco so hard that she was almost lifted from the ground. "You will stop your tantrum this instance or-"

"Let go of me!" she shouted back, tearing her arm free. Snape's beady black eyes opened wide with surprise as she pushed him back.

"You're a coward Snape! You're nothing but a coward! You didn't save her! My family protected you hundreds of times, but you did nothing for her in return! I hate you - I hate all of you!"

Snape didn't seem to let Abigail's words affect him, but continued to hold her tight as he dismissed Blaise and then pulled her away to a deserted spot on the castle grounds, followed by Draco, as he tried to explain himself.

"I tried," he told her through gritted teeth. "I did everything I could but it was too late. Voldemort had already decided of her fate. It was too late; I arrived too late."

"Bullshit!" she screamed back at him, pushing him away.

"You have to believe me, Abigail! When her protective shield failed to save her, it was too late. There was nothing else I could have done that would have saved her from the Unforgivable curse. I'm sorry," he continued.

Abigail's dark eyes opened wide as his words sliced through her like a knife when the truth finally seemed to dawn upon her. She shook her head vigorously, taking a few steps back before suddenly breaking into uncontrollable sobs. Her legs eventually gave way and she crumpled on the dewy grass benath her.

Draco looked at her dumbstruck and then at Snape.

_Why would Snape, a fellow Death Eater, try to save her mother? _

And then everything seemed to click into place.

_Snape's a spy! Of course! He's loyal to Dumbledore and only pretends to serve Voldemort. Very cunning, I wouldn't have expected any less from you Professor! _

Snape stepped up next to Abigail, looking down on her. Draco half-expected him to comfort her, but knew that Snape, even though he belonged to the light side, was incapable of it. At that instant, Draco realised how much he resembled his professor. After an uncomfortable silence, he eventually thought that it was time to put an end to Abigail's display before someone saw them and found out more than they should. The Slytherin girl had already done enough damage for the day.

He helped her up, although she fought against his touch. He noticed her hand had swollen and turned purple from the punch. Draco could feel his own eye swelling up, but he ignored the pain.

"Let go of me, Malfoy!" she hissed at him, pushing him away and then taking out her wand to heal her hand.

She stopped, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand and looked up at him, her dark eyes still blazing with fury. "When's the next meeting?" she questioned him in undertones.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her question. Did she really think he would answer that? But her dark eyes seemed determined to pursue her revenge and he was curious to find out how far she would go.

"Tomorrow night," he answered, "but you can't turn up there, Abigail. If you do, you'll die!"

"I'll be there," she said menacingly, turning to head back inside the castle.

However, Snape blocked her path. "I won't allow you to go!"

She stopped at his words, her eyes fixed on the ground and whispered dangerously. "You can't tell me what to do Professor Snape, not anymore!"

She looked straight into his black eyes, daring him to answer back.

"No one can tell me what to do now," she added quietly before walking away.

As she disappeared inside the castle, Draco turned to his Head of House and looked at him expectantly. He slowly turned to face Draco and looked sternly at his favourite pupil.

"Malfoy, you mustn't tell anyone what you heard tonight," he warned him.

"Don't worry Professor, your secret's safe with me," he answered truthfully, before heading back inside as well, towards the Head quarters. He did not intend to reveal Snape's secret to Voldemort yet. It would be pointless, except maybe to earn respect from his father and master and attend another celebration involving Muggles, this time in _his_ honour. But he wanted neither of those things.

On his way down the Black Knight's corridor, he spotted Zabini walk by in the distance and suddenly thought he should tell him to keep quiet about what Abigail had said. But the dark-haired Slytherin did not seem to notice him and instead slipped quietly into an empty classroom nearby.

Curious, Draco followed him and stepped up to the classroom door. Peering through the glass window of the door, he smirked as he saw his friend making out with a girl. He must have been dying to get away from Snape to keep this date.

_At least he's forgotten Abigail._

However, as Draco turned to leave, something suddenly caught his attention.

Red hair.

Zabini was passionately kissing the Weasley girl! Confused, Draco walked away and decided to confront his friend later, once he'd had his fun.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

"Oh my God!" Hermione exclaimed, as she entered the Head's quarters an hour later and saw his black eye. "Wait - stay here!"

She quickly put her belongings down and rushed off to the bathroom, returning with a damp cloth and some ice. He waited patiently on the couch, watching her, and smirked. Whatever he did to this girl, she would always take care of him.

Sitting down on the sofa, he let Hermione gently press the ice against his swollen black eye.

"What happened?" she finally questioned him, as Draco held the ice into place.

"Isn't it obvious, Granger?" he retorted.

"I've already told you to call me Hermione," she stated, awaiting a further explanation.

Draco looked at her from his other eye. She looked like hell. Her hair was tied back messily into a bun with random streaks falling out and her tired, dark eyes seemed to stand out even more against her pale skin. They were filled with anxiety and sorrow.

"I only just got back from St Mungo's. I suppose Abigail is responsible for the state of your face."

He nodded and they both fell silent as he let her gently press the ice against his eye again.

"Did you know?" she finally asked him in a quiet voice. "Did you know about her mother?"

"Yes," he answered truthfully. "I was there when it happened."

Hermione looked back at him surprised. Her chocolate eyes searched his face as if the truth might be written on it.

"I didn't want it," he continued. "She was a powerful Pureblood after all, but the Dark Lord had no pity for her. "

A long silence followed his words. Hermione's face remained neutral although he had noticed her cringe slightly at the word 'pureblood'. He knew she was angry with him for not telling Abby earlier about her mother, but she didn't say anything. She somehow understood that Draco had preferred to keep silent and prevent Abigail from being hurt, and yet, he knew someday he would have to pay for his choice. When Draco found out Abigail had left for St Mungo's, he knew she would discover the truth and pour out her anger on him. Perhaps, in the end, if her anger didn't turn into grief before the night, she would even face Voldemort. It was not unlikely.

Draco looked up and stared blankly at Hermione's pale face. It pained him to know what she had witnessed at the hospital. He knew what it felt like to watch Voldemort's victims, see them in their agony, and now Hermione had seen it too. Being the Gryffindor she was, she would probably never want to consciously believe all the horrors Selena Serpent had been through, but viscerally she had felt them the second she'd looked into the woman's eyes.

"I saw her today," Hermione suddenly spoke up, almost as if she had known what he was thinking. "She didn't look – human. She had some sort of attack after we arrived and she seemed to relive her … torture." Hermione was hesitant to say the word, but she forced herself to confront it. There was a short pause before she managed to continue, and she could see Draco peering at her expectantly through his swollen eye. "Her pain and fear seemed to fill the room, and she kept screaming out to Abby for help. It was so awful and felt surreal. What did she do to deserve that?"

She paused, looking out into the bright fireplace.

"I wonder what Abigail's going to do now," she continued quietly "She was so happy this morning to see her mother again and now she's devastated! I can't even imagine what she must be feeling right now, and I hope I never have to."

Draco listened to her silently. Knowing Abigail and her family, she was surely planning something to avenge her mother; something big.

"I sure hope Harry finds a way to finish Voldemort," she muttered coldly. "He deserves to die."

Draco flinched at her words; he had never heard her speak like this before. In fact, they had managed to avoid these topics quite efficiently up until now.

"Don't say that," he told her sternly, as he put the ice down. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Don't you even try to defend him in front of me!" she exclaimed angrily, staring into his dark silver eyes.

"I -" But Draco stopped. No! He wasn't about to defend someone he loathed, but he couldn't let Hermione speak in such a way. He couldn't let her become someone full of hate and anger like him. His hesitation to answer made Hermione even angrier.

"You'll never change, will you?" she spat at him, before storming off to her room.

"Granger!" he barked back in his usual cold tone.

She stopped at his words and he got up to walk towards her. "All I meant to say is that you're not a murderer, Hermione," he told her truthfully as he held her gaze.

His words released something within her that she didn't even realise she was holding back. Draco realised it was her own pain. She tried to speak, but her eyes clouded up with tears, choking her voice and before Draco knew it, she had started crying right in front of him. He knew going to St Mungo's and seeing Abigail's mother had scared Hermione. She had secretly feared the same would happen to her parents or her friends. It had been a long time since she had seen someone in such a state, a long time since Hermione had thought about last year's massacre.

She continued to sob and Draco felt her shiver as he put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. Lifting her head up, she faced him and he brushed her tears away and put her head on his shoulder. He didn't know why he felt such a need to comfort her, but he simply couldn't let her go. Not now, not when she needed someone with her, someone who could comfort her, give her hope again. It was ironic really that he, a Death Eater, should comfort her, but he didn't care much for that thought, and pushed it aside.

Leading her back to the sofa, they both sat down and Hermione stayed curled up in his arms for a while, feeling his warm breath on her face. Draco knew that it was all wrong, but having her in his arms felt right.

"I know I should have told you this weeks ago and you'll still probably never forgive me," he suddenly spoke up, unable to stop himself as the words naturally tumbled out of his mouth, "but I'm sorry."

She froze in his arms, slowly lifting up her head to meet his gaze.

"We both know I'm a cold bastard, but what I did to you was wrong."

She remained silent, nodding her head slightly as if accepting his apology before laying it back on his shoulder. He could still feel her petite form tremble beside him.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy, Hermione," he told her softly, looking straight ahead, at the bright flames roaring in the fireplace.

"No one ever said it would be this hard."

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Neither of them needed to say anything, they both understood the thoughts and feelings of the other.

Draco felt her heart beat faster against him as he realised just how close they were to each other. His eyes roamed over her face and once again, his hand brushed her tears away, but this time, he kept his hand on her cheek. Her bright brown eyes caught his own and before he knew it, his lips crushed down onto her soft ones.

As Hermione feverishly responded to him, Draco, for the first time in his life, felt as if he was truly alive.

**************..~**~..**

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**I'm so evil… but don't worry coz that means more fluff in the next chapter! So definitely Draco/Hermione action in next chappie and… Ginny disappears! Also the face to face with Voldemort will finally occur! **

**Please REVIEW! I need your thoughts and suggestions to continue, thanks!**


	20. Saving Ginny

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody! I hope you're all having a great weekend, I wanted to update earlier but didn't have enough time.. sorry but the next few chapters are already written!**

**Thank you to everybody who reviewed! I'll thank everybody personally next time but I was so glad to hear from all of you!**

**Hope you like it!**

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Chapter 20

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Hermione's mind went blank as Draco kissed her. She wanted him so much but her mind refused to admit it. Her body, on the other hand, went mad with desire and passion as he deepened the kiss. She surprised him as she responded to him feverishly and let his tongue explore her mouth.

His hands roamed over her body as her fingers ran through his platinum hair, pulling him closer.

Everything around her seemed to disappear as she concentrated on the feel of his lips, his hands on her lower back, his hair falling into his eyes giving a devilish touch to his angelic face.

_God, how can a Malfoy and a Death Eater be so damn good-looking?_

Draco lifted her closer and they fell back on the couch, him on top of her. He brought her legs around his waist as she continued to kiss him. Her hands roamed around his hair, his neck, his back, feeling the curves of his muscles. He settled his hand around her waist as the other caressed her thigh. Pulling away from her mouth, he left a trail of kisses down her neck, causing Hermione to experience pleasure she had never known before.

No one had ever made her feel that way before. Her entire body was being consumed with passion and Draco's touch made her forget all her problems. She wanted him, right there, right then.

As though reading her thoughts, Draco suddenly started tugging at her white blouse, but Hermione's eyes suddenly flew wide open and her mind grasped reality again.

"Stop," she exclaimed out of breath.

Draco looked at her questioningly, but Hermione pushed him off her and quickly stood up.

He arched his eyebrow at her. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I just can't do this," she explained, grabbing her cloak. "I'm sorry."

Hermione turned to leave the room, but almost as soon as she did so she felt an arm slither round her waist.

"Wait," Draco said before spinning her round to face him. "Isn't this what you want? Don't you want this as much as I do?"

Feeling his lean body against hers made her dizzy with passion again. She wanted to give in to him, to feel the warmth of his body on hers. Never before had she craved him so much, but it was wrong. She pulled herself away and stopped him from stepping closer to her.

"I don't trust myself when I'm with you," she admitted, before she left for her room.

He didn't follow her.

**************..~**~..**

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Hermione woke up the next day feeling terrible. She hadn't got much sleep and spent the rest of the night haunted by nightmares. Getting up hurriedly, she showered and dressed in record time and finally left the Head's quarters before Draco even got up. She didn't know what had come over her last night, but she didn't want to deal with it this morning. She promised herself not to think of Draco all day and stay away from him as much as possible until she could clear her mind.

In the Great Hall, she joined Ginny at the breakfast table who was deep in conversation with Parvati and Lavender over the Christmas Ball. She barely listened to their conversation until Parvarti suddenly turned to her excitedly.

"Aren't you supposed to be organising it, Hermione?"

Swallowing down her pumpkin juice, Hermione looked up and smiled back at her weakly.

_Crap, the Chrismas Ball! How could I forget?_

She was supposed to arrange a meeting with McGonagall once she had organised the preparations of the ball with – Draco! Cursing under her breath, she turned back to her friends and forced a smile on her face.

"Yes, I'm organising it with Malfoy! We've got last minute details to arrange," she exclaimed hurriedly.

But the girls hardly listened to her answer as they continued to talk excitedly about their possible dates.

"I hope Harry will ask me out," Lavender said dreamily, sipping her coffee.

But Parvati quickly dismissed the thought by a wave of her hand. "Ha! Don't even think about it Lav, he never goes to these events anymore. I'm sure Dean will ask you out -"

But the boys finally joined them and all conversation about the ball ceased immediately.

"Hey Ginny, remember we've got practice today," Ron warned his sister.

"I know, Ron. You've told me twice yesterday already," Ginny answered annoyed. "Hermione, will you come and watch us? I've figured out this cool new move and –"

"Yes, yes Ginny, I'll be there," Hermione replied dismissively. She had had no intention of watching the practice when Harry mentioned it yesterday, but now things were different. She had already done her homework, and wanted to avoid Draco at all costs tonight, even if that meant compromising the ball and boring herself silly watching the Gryffindor's practice.

She looked across to the Slytherin table and saw Abigail sitting by herself, eating a big breakfast. Madame Pomfrey had left her off the hook, but Hermione was supposed to make sure she ate at all meals. Watching the Slytherin girl more closely and noticing her cold attitude to her fellow housemates, Hermione knew she was up to something and it scared her to know what.

"Granger," a cold voice drawled behind her.

She would recognise that voice anywhere.

"Malfoy, what do you want?" Hermione replied just as icily.

Ignoring the unfriendly Gryffindor stares, Draco continued to speak. "I've just been told by McGonagall that we are expected to meet her tomorrow in her office to discuss the preparations of the Christmas Ball."

_Oh no! Not this! _

"I suggest that you forget your books for the day and help me prepare this important school event," he continued nastily.

Hermione's jaw dropped open as her anger grew within her.

_How dare that git make fun of me!_

"I'll see you at lunchtime," she dismissed him through gritted teeth.

Her plan for the day wasn't going well at all, but at least she wouldn't have to confront McGonagall's anger tomorrow.

**************..~**~..**

* * *

_I hate him!_ Hermione thought furiously as she walked to the Quidditch pitch that late afternoon. _That arrogant prick! _

She had just spent more than three hours with Malfoy in their common room trying to organise the bloody ball. He had been cold and arrogant with her, as if nothing had ever happened between them and, consequently, she hadn't stopped arguing with him the whole time.

"Clearly you have no idea how such high class events should be organised," and "Obviously your taste in music isn't suitable for the wizarding world!" had been a few of the things he had dared say to her during the meeting and she was furious about it.

Of course, now she was going to be late to see her friends practice and had probably missed the practice all together. Arriving on the pitch, she managed to catch the last ten minutes of the Gryffindor Quidditch practice, but she hardly paid attention, thinking of the arrogant blond Slytherin instead. As soon as her friends finished, she saw Harry make his way towards her.

"Uh oh!" he said, seeing her angry face. "Let me guess. Malfoy?"

"Let's not talk about it," she answered quickly. "Come on, let's go, it's freezing out here."

Hermione accompanied Harry back to the locker rooms whilst Ron put the Quidditch chest away.

As she stood by the locker rooms, impatiently waiting for her friends to be ready, Hermione realised she hadn't seen Ginny since they'd finished practice. Looking around, she didn't see her close friend. She walked back to the pitch, crossing Ron on the way and passed her way until she finally came to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

There was still no sign of her red-haired friend, but quite abruptly, she heard a muffled scream not far away from her. Looking around hastily, Hermione spotted Ginny ahead of her, near the pumpkin patch with Blaise Zabini. The young girl screamed and fought back as Blaise held onto her arm tightly and dragged her forcefully into the forest. They quickly disappeared out of view.

Fighting down the urge to panic, Hermione ran after them in the forest as quickly as she could, but soon lost their track. She pulled out her wand, summoning up a light in the dark woods, but found nothing. She could no longer hear Ginny screaming or any sound at all, the forest was eerily quiet. Rushing back to Hogwarts ground and the locker rooms, Hermione called out for Harry and told him what she'd just seen.

"We've got to tell Dumbledore," Harry exclaimed, walking back hurriedly towards the castle. "He'll know what to do, come on."

"No!" Hermione shouted back, looking suddenly set and determined. "There's only one person who can tell us what's really going on – Malfoy."

**************..~**~..**

* * *

The two of them decided not to alarm Ron, and so left for the Head quarters to find the Slytherin Prince without him. Although the light in the room was dim, they spotted him as soon as they walked in, as he was sitting on the sofa contemplating the crackling fire, which threw his shadow across the walls in a bizarre dance.

"I saw Ginny being dragged into the Forbidden Forest by Blaise Zabini," Hermione stated, out of breath, after running up the stairs. "What's going on?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Malfoy stood up quickly.

"Stay out of this, Granger," he warned her icily.

He pushed his way past her and headed for the stairs to his room, but Harry quickly stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

Hermione looked up at Malfoy, clearly surprised. "Ginny's my friend, Malfoy! If she's in danger you have to tell us!"

"They've gone to the Death Eater meeting happening tonight," a voice spoke up behind them.

All three of them turned around to face Abigail. She was leaning against the wall, a dark expression on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Malfoy asked coldly, his silver eyes narrowing at the sight of her.

Abigail took no notice of it.

"I also saw Blaise lead Ginny into the forest too. Why did he take her?"

"How did you get in?" he questioned back.

"I heard the password from Hermione," she answered quickly. "Now answer my question!"

"What's this about a Death Eater meeting?" Harry spoke up, looking directly at Malfoy.

Looking around him and feeling trapped, the Slytherin smirked at the three interrogators and slowly sat back on the couch.

"Blaise is getting initiated tonight at the meeting," he finally admitted.

A deep frown darkened Harry's face as Hermione sharply turned to look at Malfoy. "And how exactly does that concern Ginny?"

It was Abigail who answered, her dark eyes glittering angrily. "Blaise kidnapped Ginny because every initiation needs a human sacrifice, whether it be a Muggle, a Muggleborn or a blood traitor."

Hermione's eyes opened wide with fear at the revelation. Her gaze quickly darted back to Malfoy in disbelief.

"But I'm sure our friend Draco, here, can explain it better," Abby continued bitterly.

Hermione shook her head in turn; she didn't want to believe any of it, but she had to ask him. "My God, Draco, is this true?"

He stared back into her begging eyes for a few seconds before turning away to grab his cloak. "I have to go," he stated.

He walked past Harry and brushed Abigail as he walked to the door.

"See you later, Malfoy," she whispered between clenched teeth, as he left.

Hermione stood still as her mind reeled with questions. Death Eater meeting, human sacrifice… and then she suddenly snapped back to reality.

"Oh my God! Ginny! What are we going to do?" she said frantically, turning to Harry.

"Don't worry, I'll get her back. I'll be there tonight," Abigail told them, a sudden look of determination oh her face.

However, before Harry could protest against the idea, Hermione spoke up. "I'm coming with you then."

"No, you're not," Abigail cut in, "you can't easily walk into a Death Eater meeting Hermione. I've got my family's protection to help me, but you're a Muggleborn! If they see you, they won't let you go alive."

"No, but you can't go alone," she retorted with as much stubbornness as the Slytherin girl. "If things go wrong, you'll need someone to get help."

Abigail eyed her for a moment. "Can you Apparate?"

"Of course."

"I want to be there too," Harry suddenly told them. "I saved her once before, I can do it again, and besides, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Definitely not," Abigail exclaimed quickly. "I'm sorry Harry, but if Voldemort ever gets his hands on you, you don't stand a chance – at least not yet," she added more gently as an afterthought.

"So I'm supposed to stay here and wait?" he shouted back, stepping up to her.

Abigail stared right back into his emerald angry eyes. "Exactly. Someone needs to be here. You'll have to warn Dumbledore if we're not back by tomorrow."

He turned to Hermione, an anxious expression on his face.

"Don't worry, I'll bring her back safe and sound," Abigail said, sounding exasperated. "Come on Hermione, we have to go now!"

She meant to leave for the door, however, Harry turned to block her way and for the first time, Hermione realised how much Harry liked Abigail. It was written all over his face.

"I'm worried about you too, Abby," he whispered, stepping closer to her.

She took his hand in her own and squeezed it gently. "I can take care of myself, Harry."

Turning to Hermione, she added. "Let's go."

**************..~**~..**

* * *

The two girls reached the middle of the Forbidden Forest, the only place at Hogwarts where Apparation was possible. Abigail had cast an invisible charm on Hermione and herself as they walked through the dangerous forest, although they didn't come across any creatures or rogue Death Eaters on the path.

Abigail eventually told Hermione the exact location of the Death Eater meetings, which she had found out from her father the previous summer, and they both Apparated at the same time. When Hermione opened her eyes, she jumped back in fright at the building standing before her. There was just enough moonlight for her to be able to distinguish the façade of an abandoned mansion, which seemed to be crumbling before their very eyes. The grey walls were almost totally engulfed by a barrier of ivy, whilst most of the windows were broken, and the roof had been stripped of most of its tiles. The whole place looked eerie and possessed and gave Hermione shivers.

She turned to Abigail and noticed the girl was no longer wearing her school uniform, but a long green robe over which she wore a thick darker green cloak with a hood. The Slytherin quickly summoned an identical black cloak for Hermione, who felt drowned in the thick material when she put it on.

"They mustn't see you," Abigail warned. "Put the hood on."

They passed through the screeching iron gates and walked up to the mansion and past the front door.

"They're in the basement," Abigail said quietly, indicating a set of stairs leading down into the house.

However, before they walked down the stairs, she stopped, turned to Hermione and pointed her wand at her.

_"Protego Leo!"_ she whispered and soon a crimson coloured light appeared and enveloped Hermione just like it had done for Abigail's mother in St Mungo's.

"It's the strongest protection I can give you. It should keep you safe from most spells if you're attacked. Remember keep quiet, try not to be noticed or seen and if anything happens, you need to go back to the gate to Disapparate," she added before casting the usual _"Protego Alexia!"_ on herself.

Abigail approached the basement door cautiously and looked down at an old, repulsive and scrawny rat; Wormtail.

"Tell your Master, he has a visitor," she announced clearly.

The rat disappeared through a crack in the wall and soon after, the large steel basement door opened before them.

Hermione had goosebumps from the cold air and her teeth kept clattering with fear. Beyond the door, they set eyes on a dimly lit, large and rectangular hall where stood dozens, if not hundreds, of black-robed Death Eaters, all facing in their direction. At the end of the hall, on a raised dais sat Voldemort on a black high-backed throne and next to him, stood Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione watched anxiously. Silence filled the air as Abigail continued to walk confidently down the hall, the Death Eaters parting before her.

Hermone's legs, on the other hand, wouldn't carry her any further, and she felt almost as if she had been petrified on the spot. She had been told to stay close to the door anyway so that she could run outside and Disapparate in case things went wrong. She didn't believe one could so easily escape from a Death Eater meeting, but she preferred not to think about it, and started praying silently.

Abigail continued to march down, but as she nearly reached the dais, a Death Eater, who stood in her way, stopped her and pulled out his wand.

Hermione held her breath as she watched the scene before her. She stifled a gasp as she heard the one curse, the Killing curse, which had haunted her dreams for the past couple of years, suddenly being cast by the black-robed and white-masked figure.

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

Her terrified brown eyes opened wide in horror as the curse struck Abigail. It was too late, she had remained frozen on the spot, too petrified to move, too scared to save her friend. Her Gryffindor courage had abandoned her. But something unexpected happened as the green Killing curse hit Abigail. It abruptly bounced off an invisible shield surrounding the Slytherin girl and hit back the Death Eater squarely in the chest. He froze for a moment before falling to the ground; dead.

Hermione's mind went blank as she continued to watch the black-robed figure on the stone floor. A few seconds later, the long silence was finally broken as hundreds of Death Eaters started talking all at the same time. The ones nearer Abigail backed away in fright whilst the ones behind pushed forward to get a better view of their fallen comrade.

Never before had they seen someone escape the curse of Death, except for Harry Potter, and none of them knew how she had done it, except for one.

Abigail continued her way to Voldemort, stepping over the dead body almost nonchalantly. Her large hood hid her face well, but, even underneath the cape, it showed determination and almost bloodthirst to save her mother. Her intentions and knowledge of power suddenly scared Hermione, who continued to pray silently at the back of the hall.

She continued to look around, but couldn't distinguish Draco among the sea of hooded Death Eaters. However, she did spot Ginny lying down on a marble table and held a gasp in. The Weasley girl had been stupefied and Blaise, who was standing beside her, looked nervously from Voldemort to Abigail.

"I see you have improved your protective shield," a raspy voice hissed slowly, causing shivers down Hermione's spine. Voldemort's beady red eyes bore down upon Abigail as his bony spider-like fingers played with his wand. He was the only one who didn't seem surprised by what had happened.

"Very impressive."

Abigail stood up straight in front of Voldemort.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I want the counter curse to the madness that you have brought upon my mother," she told him, fighting to keep her anger under control.

Her words triggered several laughs among his Death Eaters.

"There is no counter curse!" Voldemort shrilled with high satisfaction. "The fractures of the human mind are irreparable. Surely even you know that?"

The laughter continued behind Abigail, but did not seem to affect her. She continued to look up, determined as ever to get the answers to her questions.

"You're lying," she breathed out loudly. "Give me the counter curse!"

Silence abruptly fell upon the hall. The Dark Lord immediately narrowed his red beady eyes at her.

"Do not think that you are valuable enough that I will let you insult me," he threatened her. His sharp words should have stopped her dead in their tracks, but Abigail seemed unaffected then.

"Then give me the counter curse," she repeated.

"There is none, little girl!" Voldemort hissed back at her. "Your family obviously hasn't invented it yet."

The hall broke out yet again in laughter and Hermione watched, anguished, as a smile crept on Abigail's face.

"Then there will be no ritual!" she announced loudly among the laughter.

The Dark Lord simply seemed amused by her words. "And what are you going to do, little girl, against me and all my Death Eaters?"

On his words, Abigail smirked and pointed out her wand towards Ginny.

_"Enervate!"_

**************..~**~..**

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**Next chapter will be up very soon, I promise! Its Abigail's POV but I'm not saying anymore…Liked the action between Hermione and Draco! I'm not very good at writing mushiness, so you'll have to tell me what you think.**

**For those of you who think that Abigail is far-fetched in this chapter, I understand but she's just lost it when she saw her mother at St , she doesn't get away with what she's done...**

**More will be coming up very soon, actually the rating will go up to R.**

**Till then review! xxx Hathor xxx**


	21. Aftermath

**Author's Notes: Hey guys! Its getting colder and colder over here and I can't wait to go home for Christmas!**

**Disclaimer:** **Harry Potter and his wonderful world doesn't belong to me, but to J.K. Rowling. I make absolutely no money out of writing this fanfic, its all for fun. **

**Right, on to the thank you's. I'm so glad for all your reviews, its great!**

**Lovespell: Glad you liked the mushiness. More is to come but I'm dreading it because I don't like writing it.**

**AngelSerpent 91: Lol, the pace will be picked up, I promise! After all a Christmas ball is coming up and trust me, u'll like it!**

**Boostrap Beka: I love ur penname, its original! Thank you so much, your reviews make my day! I'm glad you like Abigail as a character, its so hard to introduce Ocs into Harry Potter world, no one usually likes them. Glad u liked the mushiness, more to come…**

**Velvet Revolution: Hey, I know what u mean, so Hermione/ Draco love stories take place over a week and its so hard to believe them! Thank you for your review, its really helpful to hear from people who appreciate the rhythm, I never know if I'm going too quickly or too slow. Nasty repercussions unfortunately will occur but it will take some time…**

**Miz-sumone: I update about once a week, sorry can't go faster, glad u like the fic!**

**Starlight-Heart: Hey, thanx so much, I love your reviews! Yeah, you got the quote! I don't like Christina but when I heard the song, I thought it fitted perfectly! Sorry I didn't write it before but this chappie is dedicated to you! Hope to hear from you again!**

**Roguish Muse: Heya! Glad you liked the fluff! Like I said before, more coming soon, and Abby won't get away with provoking Voldie (so pratronising! Haha!), it would be too easy for her! **

**Kerry: Hey, I liked ur review! Glad u like the dark fic, if u enjoy this fic, try some of my favourite stories, Means to an End by Nexis is absolutely brilliant! It'll change ur mind about dark fics! Final battle is basically the final chapter which isn't for a bit, but till then, enjoy the rest!**

**Dracocrayem: Oh my god, I can't believe u enjoy this fic as much as hp books. That makes my day! Thank you for the review, Harry and Ron, won't find out for a while, but they have yet to find out Hermione and Abby are distant cousins… As for Dumbledore, Abigail will soon find out it wasn't him as Hermione already did… enjoy!**

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Chapter 21

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"Stop her!" the Dark Lord shrieked and Lucius Malfoy immediately pulled out his wand. Abigail quickly cast a protection spell on Ginny as she woke up and spun around to face Lucius, but it was too late.

Hermione thought her heart would burst from beating so fast as she anxiously watched Malfoy Sr. cast the Cruciatus curse on the Slytherin girl. But once again, the spell backfired and narrowly missed Voldemort's second in command. It caused the rest of the Death Eaters to instantly back away from Abigail, even though their master continued to shriek at them furiously.

"Kill her, you idiots! She's only a little girl. Kill her, kill them all!"

Hermione wondered why on earth Voldemort didn't simply kill them all himself - it would have saved him a lot of time - but the thought quickly flew away from her mind as she suddenly realised that each and every Death Eater before her had turned around to face her, wand in hand.

Since the large, black cloak she wore hid her face and figure well, none of them could identify her, and they had no idea what to expect. They seemed too scared to strike the first blow after seeing what Abigail's shield had done. Instead, they watched her warily, and Hermione, terrified, stood frozen on the spot, helplessly trying to catch sight of her friends among the crowd. She spotted Ginny among the rows of Death Eaters, creeping away from the table unnoticed and then dodging spells sent her way.

She seemed unharmed, although her eyes were wide with fear. She had finally nearly reached Hermione, when there was a loud cry from the other end of the room. Immediately, the Death Eaters before them turned their attention back to the raised dais and saw Lucius Malfoy, lying on the floor on his side, his long blond hair in disarray, clutching a bleeding leg, his wand having fallen a few metres away from him.

Abigail stood above him, pointing her wand down at his chest, her eyes watching closely the rows of Death Eaters before her. Scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes watched on eagerly.

"Lower your wands or I'll blast him to pieces," Abigail warned them sharply, although she was trembling like a leaf. "I said lower your wands!" she yelled again when they did not respond instantly.

She jabbed her wand in Malfoy's side, who immediately hissed in pain and caused several Death Eaters to step back in shock and revulsion. The noise was animalistic, and hardly what they would have expected from Voldemort's second. Abigail grabbed Malfoy by the front of his robes and lifted him up as best she could, her wand pressed against his neck.

"And what are you going to do now, Serpent?" There was a mocking tone in the voice that addressed her. Voldemort, after his brief panic, was now sitting comfortably in his throne looked down at the scene before him in delight. "Do you think you can kill my most worthy Death Eater and that I will let you get away with it?"

"Malfoy's only a safety measure to leave this wretched building alive," Abigail told him, partly hidden behind Malfoy's large stature. "But if you or any of your Death Eaters try anything, he's history."

She pressed the tip of her wand deeper into Malfoy's skin, who glanced up at his master in turn, although his face held no fear.

"My Lord!" he urged, still clutching his leg, blood trickling from his wound.

"Silence," the Dark Lord spat, quieting him at once. "And what about your friends, my dear? I could very well have them killed for all the insolence you have shown me."

Abigail smirked in return. "What friends?"

Voldemort's eyes flickered up towards the entrance at the back end of the hall, where one of the oak doors was slightly ajar.

"Very clever," he congratulated her, his pitiless red eyes looking down at his subjects. "Believe me when I say my Death Eaters will be severely punished for letting that happen."

The black-cloaked figures squirmed under his stare and several exchanged nervous glances as they realised that the two girls had slipped out right under their noses.

Voldemort once more turned his attention to Abigail and slowly raised his crooked pale white hand, a spidery finger pointed at the door.

"You may leave for now, Serpent," he said quietly. "But remember, you are being watched and Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you."

Abigail said nothing. She had never expected her plan with Malfoy to work. Voldemort would never have let her go so easily unless there was some sort of plan behind it all. Abigail didn't know what it was and certainly didn't have time to think about it. She roughly pushed Malfoy forward, who winced but staggered on, and the crowd of Death Eaters before them parted down the middle. Abigail kept a sharp eye left and right for any wands pointed in her direction, but there were none; no one was stupid enough to defy the Dark Lord's orders.

As Abigail approached the door, she stopped and stared for a few seconds at a certain Death Eater, who screamed in return and ran to her lord.

Abigail continued to march on, still using Malfoy as a hostage and shield and turned around as she finally reached the door.

"What is it Bellatrix?" Voldemort demanded loudly.

"She spoke in my mind my Lord! Her voice was in my head!" Bellatrix Lestrange cried out in terror.

"I'll be seeing you very soon, Malfoy," she whispered angrily in Lucius's ear before roughly pushing him forward and disappearing behind the open oak door, flinging it shut behind her.

She did not hear the rest of the conversation as she ran outside hurriedly and Disapparated as soon as she reached the gates.

"He's coming for you next, she said. He'll kill you, she said," Bellatrix continued crying out loud, clutching the bottom of Voldemort's robes. "He'll kill you!"

"Who?" Voldemort demanded, bending his head down to his most faithful Death Eater.

"Harry Potter, my Lord," she finally breathed out.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail woke up the next morning with a start. Her head pounded painfully and she felt awfully faint. The meeting had taken a lot of energy out of her the previous night, especially since her shield had protected her from two Unforgivables. Her power had certainly increased over the previous year. She had not expected to escape the second attack, but was grateful that she had; one more curse and she would have surely been seriously hurt, or even killed.

After Apparating back to the Forbidden Forest last night, she found the two Gryffindor girls waiting for her at the clearing and all three of them walked silently back to the castle; Ginny trembling in Hermione's arms, whilst the Head girl remained quiet.

Abigail didn't blame them. Fear overcame her too as she walked back to the castle and she couldn't help but throw up in the bathroom as soon as she reached the Slytherin common room. More than anything she feared Voldemort's revenge and needed to speak to Malfoy about it. Only he could tell her what the Dark Lord had planned for her.

Getting out of bed, Abigail quickly got dressed and when she sat down to put her shoes on, her owl suddenly swooped into her dorm through the window, carrying a letter on its leg. She took it and trying not to wake her roommates, she quietly walked out of her dorm and went down to the Slytherin common room.

Curling up into a plush armchair, she opened the letter and read it to herself.

_Dear Abigail,_

_Have you heard about your mother? She has been transferred to St Mungo's and I shall try and visit her within the next two weeks. I am still at Malfoy Manor and we have both been invited to stay over for Christmas, therefore I hope to see you here very soon. I miss you very much._

_Your Father. _

"Next two weeks!" she exclaimed out loud.

_What the hell? Staying at Malfoy Manor for Christmas? Who is Malfoy trying to fool? _

This definitely wasn't her father writing to her; now she was sure of it. Whatever was going on, she was going to figure it out. She would go to Malfoy Manor during the Christmas holidays and get her father back. How, she had no idea. But she had no other choice and would probably need Draco's help, although she didn't trust him at all.

She folded up the letter angrily, stuffed it in her pocket, but when she stepped out of the common room, she bumped into Snape; a very angry Snape.

He pushed her back inside and put a silencing charm on the common room and locked the doors. "Did you get what you were hoping for?" he asked calmly, looking down his nose at her, obviously trying to control his wrath.

"I don't know what you're talking about -" she started, but he cut in angrily.

"That was the most selfish thing you could have done! You went too far this time you insufferable idiot!"

Abigail hardly listened to what he had to say and sat down in the armchair again.

"I don't care," she said quietly. "I did it to save my mother, it's none of your concern."

Unfortunately, she was pushing Snape to his limits. He blanched with fury.

"It concerns all of us now!" he yelled at her. "I've never known anyone to do something as stupid as what you did last night!"

His words finally seemed to hit her and she stood up to confront him.

"Don't you get it? I don't belong to your side. I'm not a pawn Dumbledore or you can play with for your benefit. My family is neutral, I can't choose sides!" she cried out in exasperation.

"Precisely!" Snape retorted and suddenly pointed an accusing finger at her. "You fell right into the Dark Lord's trap! He knew exactly what you were going to do. He knew you would go to him for a counter curse, he knew you would save the Weasley girl. And not only did you do that, but you also showed him the extent of your powers!"

Abigail looked back at Snape as if he'd gone mad.

_It doesn't make sense! What it matter if I've showed Voldemort my powers? _

"Don't you see?" Snape sneered at her. "You're indebted to him!"

And then it hit her. She finally understood what Snape meant. She had rescued Ginny, but her family was neutral to the war and so since she had helped the Light side, she would eventually have to help Voldemort.

"But… but someone had to save Ginny," Abigail retorted, finally realising the gravity of her act. "Besides, I prevented Blaise from becoming a Death Eater."

"Wrong," Snape told her, his face turning grave again. "They found another Muggle to sacrifice, the ritual continued."

Abigail looked back at him aghast. Blaise was a Death Eater now! Suddenly, something else struck her.

"So, are you saying that you wouldn't have saved Ginny?" she asked him slowly.

Snape looked back at her blankly. "She was a sacrifice we had to make."

Abigail opened her eyes wide and had the sudden urge of laughing at the irony and sadness of the situation._ And they call themselves the good side! _

"Listen Professor," she said very clearly. "There is no 'we'. I might be a Slytherin, but I still have a sense of honour. I don't give up on my friends, I don't leave them to die and honestly, I don't care about the consequences of my actions."

She then side-stepped him swiftly and stormed out of the common room, with Snape shouting behind her.

"If you help them, then we might as well all die now!"

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail ran down the stairs as fast as she could. She was suffocating in this enormous castle and needed to get out quickly. She needed fresh air, she needed to take in everything that had happened these past days.

She suddenly realised that she needed her mother. She needed to hear her soothing voice again telling her everything would be alright. She would have done the right thing last night and Abigail was terrified that she hadn't. She continued her trip down the stairs, passing students who looked back at her with curiosity. She didn't notice the dark-haired Slytherin coming towards her.

Feeling her arm grabbed roughly and pulled away from the next flight of stairs, Abigail spun around in fright.

"We need to talk," Blaise said sternly to her.

_Oh shit!_

"I've got nothing to say to you!" she cried out, breathing heavily, but he continued to pull her away from the crowd and towards a quieter spot.

"You've gone way too far, Abigail! What you did last night to our Lord was unforgivable!" he barked at her.

Pulling her arm free, Abigail's eyes glittered back at him angrily. "What he did to my mother is fucking unforgivable! Now get the hell away from me Blaise! We're over, you understand! It's over, so don't ever talk to me again!"

However, Blaise didn't give up so easily. He pushed her up against the wall and kept his hand tight around her throat. "This certainly isn't over Abby," he told her in a quiet tone, his finger tracing down her cheek. "We belong together and you know it. You still want me, your body wants me and you shouldn't fight it."

His hand fell down to her hip and over the thin material of her school skirt, suddenly grazing her skin just above her knee.

"Blaise - don't -" But it was useless, he overpowered her and her body was already responding to his touch. Damn her for still wanting him when he had clearly become a psycho and Death Eater. He grabbed her thigh, pulling her against him as his lips suddenly hit hers forcefully. His tongue swept across her mouth and without realising, she opened to him suddenly in need of his touch - his kiss. She was confused, maybe even a little desperate and kissing Blaise made her more alive than she had felt for the past week. Her skirt had quickly bundled around her waist as his hands roamed up her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him more fiercely than ever until her mind decided to wake up and memories of her trip to St Mungo's and especially, Harry's worried green eyes, appeared before her eyes.

She stopped abruptly, realising that making out with Blaise was not only a stupid solution to her problems, but that it was a dangerous one as well. He took her sudden stiffness as a cue to start kissing her neck instead, nibbling at her skin with his teeth, but Abigail quickly put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away.

Looking at him out of breath, she hardly knew what to say to him as she rearranged her skirt around her legs.

"Blaise, I'm sorry, but this is over."

He looked back at her confused, his eyes wide open with surprise.

"You're a Death Eater now and you chose a path where I can't follow you."

She turned to leave, taking advantage of his shock to slip away, but before she reached the stairs, she heard his taunting voice behind her. "This isn't over Abby. You'll pay for what you did… Malfoy already has."

Abigail continued her way down, but in her mind she couldn't help wondering what had happened to the Slytherin Prince.

Hours later, she began to shiver from the winter cold. She had been sitting outside, by the lake, on the rocks, where she could stare out at the water's surface and the sky's reflection on it.

It was her favourite spot.

Sighing heavily, she stamped out her last cigarette and wiped her frozen tears away. Her world had been turned upside down and finally she had realised that she had acted impulsively, first with Malfoy and then with Voldemort - and probably with Blaise too. She had been like a hurricane that nobody could calm down until it was satisfied by its destructive path. And in the end, everything she had done hadn't been useful at all. She was still without a counter curse and felt even more lost.

If only her mother could wake up….

She stared out numbly towards the vast lake, contemplating the ripples on its surface due to the wind. It blew strands of her long black hair into her face, but instead of pushing it away, she simply continued to stare.

"Hey," a voice called behind her. "What are you doing here?"

Although she recognised the voice, Abigail didn't look up. She felt a warm and heavy cloak slip onto her shoulders and Harry eventually sat down beside her. He looked at her for a while and then turned his head to stare out into the lake.

"I use to come down here a lot when my godfather died," he finally told her. "It felt good being lost in my thoughts, away from reality. I could pretend he was still alive and any moment from now he would come and find me."

Feeling the cold wind caress her neck, Abigail pulled the cloak tighter around her, but remained silent.

"Hermione told me everything this morning. I'm glad you rescued Ginny," he told her quietly.

She didn't answer, preferring to stare out into the open landscape before her. She couldn't tell him what Snape had said. How could she?

"I'm sorry about your mother Abby, but please don't face your pain alone," he eventually told her. "Trust me, it doesn't help."

She gazed back at him sadly, pushing her hair back behind her ears. Her eyes couldn't help but look straight into his bright and sincere emerald eyes.

"I know."

Silence followed as they continued to gaze at each other.

"She was so frightened. I sensed it at the hospital, fear and panic totally overcame her and so her spells didn't work," Abigail suddenly explained to him softly.

Her chin began to tremble again, but she refused to let herself cry in front of Harry. "Magical spells don't work with a confused mind. Now you understand what I meant by fear being the basis to Voldemort's power."

Harry nodded and seeing her distressed face, he gently took her hand.

"It's okay to cry, you know," he said after a moment.

"No, its not," she said with an empty voice, getting back up on her feet. "My mother isn't dead after all, she's just not well at the moment."

Harry looked back at her surprised as she handed him back the cloak and, turning her back on him, headed back to the castle.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Reaching the castle doors, Abby noticed Ginny standing in her way.

"Abby, I'm so sorry about everything," she said gingerly.

The Slytherin girl gave her a cold look in return. "I warned you about him, Gin."

"I know and I should have listened. I'm so sorry for being such an idiot. Please, can you forgive me?" Ginny asked her anxiously.

"Of course I will," Abby answered, a smile creeping on her face. She hugged her friend and the two girls headed inside the castle. As they crossed the entrance hall, they noticed a fair number of students staring at the announcements board and talking eagerly amongst themselves.

"What's going on?" Abigail asked out loud. But as she saw the notice on the board she groaned.

_Not again! _

Ginny squealed at the news. "It's official! The Christmas ball is happening next week!"

******************..~**~..**

* * *

**Yeah, the Christmas Ball! So who's going with whom? Have a guess, trust me its going to be wild!**

**Next chapter, Draco's aftermath, its not looking good…**

**Review!**


	22. Lessons

**Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay! I'm at home now but my computer has this horrible virus and I can't use the net. Sniff! Its still not fixed but I managed to update from a friend's house and before the 26th, as previously planned!**

**Have you all heard? Harry Potter book 6 out in July 2005! I can't wait! Hope things get a bit more PG-13 this time, don't you agree? There will definitely be some Hermione/Ron action going on...**

**Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers for last chapter! 88 reviews, wow! How could I ever do it without you! So personal thank you's cannot be missed!**

**Jonadark: Hey glad you like the fic! I'm glad you picked up on the human sacrifice because its important. Draco did need to kill somoene to become a Death-Eater and he will shortly be talking about it.**

**AngelSerpent91: Thanks for your review again. And yes Draco has been severely beaten but not by Blaise. Remember the Slytherins still fear Draco, even Blaise... read on and find out! Enjoy!**

**Winter-willow: Wow, one of the longest reviews I've had so far! Thank you I appreciate your thoughts and comments sooo much! To answer your question, you're right. Hermione's mum is born from a Squib and Muggle thus none magical but that so Squib comes from the Serpent family line and is Abigail's father's uncle. Thus Hermione's mum and Abigail's dad are cousins though they live in completely different worlds and thats how you get a Muggle-born Hermione and Pureblood Abigail.**

**Hope that made sense, sorry for the delay!**

**Lachupaca: Another long review! Ust what the doctor ordered, thank you! Sorry for grammar mistakes but english isn't my first language! I've actually been going re-editing and re-writing the first chapters because I thought they were pretty bad! Lol, never knew I could make people angsty with my fic, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**MerndaSaysDownWithWormtail: And you're right, I hate wormtail! Lol, thanks for the review and I have to admit that the 'boy-who-just-wouldn't-die' didn't come from me but I found it so hilariously funny that I just HAD to use it. Glad you love it!**

**Starlight-Heart: Hey I started reading 'Leather and Libraries' and I liked it. I'll review when I finish! I loved your review; glad you like all the interaction between Abigail and Harry! And do not worry, Hermione/Draco stuff coming supersoon (actually next chapter); plus the rating goes up! I just read the fifth HP book again and the last bit with Bellatrix suddenly gave me the idea of Abigail warning her about Harry! Seriously its time he revenged Sirius death don't you think? Enjoy...**

**Roguish Muse: Hehe, like I said, R-rating soon... And Christmas Ball as well and though I can picture all the characters in their ball clothes, its so hard to describe them through words. Hope you like this chappie, it has some Draco/Hermione interaction.**

**Dark Rose: Glad you like Abigail, because OCs can really get to me too. You can feel it really quickly when author's include themselves in the story though I've read some real good ones too. Hope to hear from you again!**

**And now to Draco's injuries and naked torso :)**

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* * *

Chapter 22

* * *

Draco slowly took off his black shirt, turning his head to look at the state of his back through the mirror. He had locked himself inside the bathroom and quickly needed to get rid of the cuts and bruises, which covered his body, before Hermione woke up.

The only problem was the limping, he couldn't help it and no spell could conceal it. He was sure there _was _a spell, somewhere, but he couldn't remember it, and right now he didn't care enough to find it. He looked down at the blood, which covered his clothes again. The ritual had continued as planned but this time a whole Muggle family had been killed to compensate for a Death Eater's loss.

When Voldemort had discovered that Avery had been killed, Draco would never forget how those horrifying beady red eyes had abruptly turned to him.

"This is all your fault!" he had hissed.

And Voldemort, never the sort of man to do his dirty work, had ordered Lucius Malfoy to torture his son. Draco hadn't protested, or even cried in pain, when the Cruciatus curse was repeatedly used on him, or when the whip had ripped open the skin on his back. Those sort of things had happened before. He was prepared for them.

He was used to the pain and the black memories, which filled his mind each time. They haunted him at night during his sleep, which was the only time when they could overtake his mind. But it was the blood he would never get used to, nor the satisfaction on his father's face. It angered him more than anything else.

"Bastard," Draco muttered angrily, punching the mirror before him and effectively shattering it into millions of shards.

Alarmed by the noise, a knock was heard on the bathroom door.

"Go away, Granger!" he growled and hearing nothing in return, he turned back to face the shattered mirror until he suddenly heard the door unlock.

Before Malfoy could cover himself, Granger walked in and gasped loudly at the sight of him.

"Get out!" he told her, turning his back to her. "This isn't any of your business, I told you not to come in here! "

Whatever was happening with Granger, he had made the right decision by putting a stop to it. If Voldemort or any one else ever found out what little had happened between them, then they would both die. And now that Blaise was initiated, he had to be even more careful not to reveal anything.

"It wouldn't have happened if we hadn't gone there, so it damn well is!" she retorted, pulling out her wand.

"_Evanesco!_" she said, pointing at the mess on the floor, which instantly disappeared.

Draco looked back at her surprised as she started healing his wounds.

"He expected Abigail to come after her friend," he said quietly after a moment as he observed her healing his wounds.

"Oh, Draco," she spoke up, worry in her voice as she looked at the state of his back. "Why do you let him do this to you?"

He seized her hand, intending to make her stop, but instead it caused her to step even closer to him.

"Granger, if I could change I would… take back that stupid vow I would… but I can't!"

Suddenly all his resolutions seem to fly away as her sorrowful eyes captivated his attention and he felt himself irresistibly attracted to her. Still holding on to her firmly, he bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. He didn't expect her to kiss him back, nor did he intend her to, because somehow this was his way of simply saying 'thank you'.

Her chocolate eyes flickered with surprise and Draco realised his error.

He was a Death Eater with a job to do and, unless he wanted to die, he needed to do it quick.

"You'd better leave," he told her in his usual cold voice.

Unfortunately, Hermione didn't budge. "No, you still need –"

But her voice made him even more determined. "Don't you understand English?" he shouted at her. "Beat it!"

She left hurriedly, scared of his sudden reaction, and as Draco watched her go a mixture of emotions rushed through his soul.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

"Serpent!"

He had finally managed to find her, near the lake, as usual. She was sitting by herself on the rocks again, doing her homework. She turned around surprised and scowled as she recognised him.

"Hello, Malfoy!" she greeted him coldly. "Concealed your bruises did you? You still have to work on that limping though."

He smirked, ignoring her attempts to aggravate him. "You probably know why I'm here."

Her face fell, as she understood his meaning. Voldemort hadn't lost any time. After the meeting he had instantly ordered Draco to find Abigail and force her to regain her neutrality by helping his cause.

"Fine," she said indifferently. "What is it you want?" Idly, she wondered if she would have anticipated Draco's demands if Snape had not shown her the true nature of her foolishness.

"You should teach me some of your family magic," he answered maliciously, feeling his power over her. "For instance, how did you protect yourself from the Unforgivable curses?"

"That is for you to discover," Abigail answered without hesitation. "Anyone can protect himself from those curses. We all have a family ancestor who when summoned creates a protective shield. Each family has a different one and I don't happen to know yours."

She then looked up at him from her homework and grinned.

Not letting himself get disappointed, Draco continued. "Then teach me one of your family spells."

Thinking upon it for a moment, Abigail pulled out her wand and pointed it at her book.

_"Stonificus!"_

Her book suddenly turned grey. It was no longer made of paper, but hard rock stone.

"Very impressive," he said sarcastically, "but anyone can do that."

"Yes, but I also know how to transform objects into wood, metal, stone or liquify them."

Draco looked at her unimpressed. "Sure, Hogwarts doesn't teach us that, but you must know something better."

His words seemed to anger her considerably. "You want me to teach you how to kill people?" she shouted back at him.

"No, but you must have more powerful spells than that!" he replied calmly, casting her a stony glare. "In case you haven't noticed, I brought your mother to St Mungo's, you threatened the Dark Lord, you killed one of his-"

But before he could finish, Abigail suddenly turned her wand at him. _"Boisum clothes!"_

He watched unamused as the cloth of his school uniform and black cloak suddenly changed into ebony wood.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Draco spent the rest of the afternoon arguing with Abigail over which curses were useful to learn or not. He finally decided that if he was ever going to learn more from her then he'd have to be patient. The Serpent heir wouldn't reveal her darkest spells just yet and so he half-listened, extremely bored as she taught him simple and insignificant spells.

"I think I've had enough for today," he said eventually, pocketing his wand and standing up from the rock he was sitting on. "I'll be seeing you same time, same place tomorrow."

As he expected, she argued back. "And who says I'm free tomorrow? I have tons of homework to catch up on as I was in hospital and –"

But Draco hardly listened. "And you'll be coming with me to the Christmas Ball, so dress accordingly."

He walked past her, meaning to leave, but looked down amused as her eyes opened up wide.

"Excuse me? I have no intention of going to that stupid ball and even less of going with _you_!" she exclaimed, standing up herself.

"Everyone _has_ to go on Dumbledore's orders and I'm not taking Pansy again," he explained walking back to the castle not bothering to face her.

"I don't care if you don't want to go with Parkinslut!" Abigail shouted back angrily, trampling after him. "I won't go with you –"

"Too bad, you still are," he added with a smirk and suddenly turned around to face her. "You and I can still be together you know."

"Are you kidding me? I fucking hate you!" she shouted back at him angrily, stopping abruptly. She was furious and seemed to lose track of what she was saying. Draco, suddenly realising she was causing a scene again in front of other students, pulled her aside.

"I can't understand how you could ever think that _I_ would go with _you_;" she continued not bothering to keep her voice down, "you arrogant stuck up asshole! Besides, even if I went to the ball, I'd rather go with Ha -"

But she stopped short, catching herself before her tongue slipped.

However, Draco realised her mistake and felt his blood boil in his veins. He gripped her wrist even harder and turned around to face her, menacingly.

"With Potter."

His voice was chilling to the bone.

"Is that what you were going to say?" His silver eyes watched her like a hawk as she tried to back away from him and lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Did you really think that us Slytherins would let you go to the Ball with _him_?" he continued dangerously. "I might have let you see him before but from now on I don't ever want to see you near him again -"

"You're such a hypocrite!" Abigail suddenly cut in. "I'm sure you're dying to go with Granger –"

"There's nothing going on between us," he answered calmly, letting go of her wrist. He knew perfectly well that if he lost his temper now, Abigail would see right through his lies.

She looked straight into his eyes, searching for the truth, but quickly gave up and walked away towards the castle doors. Draco Malfoy's soul was unfathomable, even to him.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Draco found the Slytherin common room empty that night and slipped into the leather couch, sighing heavily with fatigue. Reaching under a nearby cupboard, he found a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey and proceeded to down it.

"How did it go?" a voice asked him firmly.

"It'll take some time before she tells me what we want," Draco answered back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Blaise sat down opposite him. "We don't have much time."

Draco looked at his long-time friend and noticed how tired he seemed. He certainly hadn't slept either since his initiation.

"There's a problem though," Draco said calmly, leaning back in his chair. Blaise turned his head to look at him, concerned. His life was at risk in this too.

"She's befriending the Gryffindors. She's hardly a Slytherin anymore," Draco continued, finding a couple of Butterbeers left in the cupboard.

He watched as his friend's blue eyes turned darker at his words.

"I want her back," the dark-haired Death Eater admitted to him, taking the Butterbeer Draco handed him.

Draco smirked in return. "I know. We'll find a way."

As he spoke, the Slytherin common room door suddenly swung open and Pansy walked in, winking at Blaise as she passed them by and purposely avoiding Draco. He preferred not to respond anymore when she flirted with him.

Blaise, turning back to face Draco, smirked as well.

"Catch you later!" he sneered as she followed Pansy up to the boys' dormitories.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

**Hihi, this story definitely needs R-rating and the rating will finally go up next chapter! **

**Now's the time to review guys, coz the more I get, the quicker I'll update! **

**In the next chapter, Hermione and Draco finally get it even….**


	23. Christmas Ball

**Disclaimer: Christmas has come but HP still doesn't belong to me! Harry Potter and his world belongs to J. but characters you don't recognise are from my own crazy imagination.**

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody! I hope you all had a great Christmas and you're all ready to party for the New Year! ****Ok now I have good and bad news for you guys… The bad news is I'm away for a few weeks to Turkey. So unless I miraculously find a computer with Internet no update for a while…**

**But the good news is, you guys get a special, extra long, R-rated chapter! ****Thank you, thank you, thank you so so much for the reviews! They are sooo helpful! **

**A special thank you to jonadark, AngelSerpent91, aurora black, dracocrazyem, xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo, Senya Lady of the Serpents, Bootstrap Beka, Starlight-Heart, dark rose and xohugsndkisses!**

**For those of you still wondering why Abigail doesn't refuse to help Draco, the answer is in chapter 15. According to Serpent law, they cannot choose sides between evil or good or they will lose their magical powers. Just thought I'd clarify that for everybody.**

**So here you go, the chapter you've all been waiting for… Enjoy! **

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* * *

Chapter 23

* * *

"Too short!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at the crimson dress before her.

The end of term had finally come and the Christmas Ball was happening the Friday night before the Christmas holidays began. Hermione had decided not to stay at Hogwarts this year, but go skiing with her parents again and try and take her mind off things while she still could.

The weekend prior to the ball, Hermione had promised Ginny to go dress shopping with her at Hogsmeade, but so far, neither of the girls were having much luck.

"Ginny I'm tired! Can we call it a day?" Hermione whined.

"No way," the younger girl retorted, dragging Hermione into another shop. "You're going to the Ball with my brother this year and I want you to look gorgeous!"

Hermione cringed at the thought of Ron. She had accepted his invitation as a friend, but seeing the grin on his face, she finally realised how deep his feelings were for her.

******************..~**~..**

Hermione smiled up to Ron as he walked into the Heads common room. She was curled up in one of the sofas, reading through her essay when she spotted the fiery red-head.

"Hi!" he greeted her.

"Ron, how's it going?" she said sleepily. It was nearly midnight and she was glad Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

"Good. I... er, I wanted to-" But he stopped short and sat down next to her hurriedly.

"Hermione," he started again, his ears going bright red. "Will you go to the Ball with me?" he quickly blurted out.

She looked back at him surprised. Although a couple of guys had asked her to go with them, she had politely refused. But now, she realised she had no choice. Everybody had to go to the Christmas Ball and she was the one organising it! The Ball was in a couple of days now and she was running out of time to find a partner. Besides Ron was her best friend and she had desperately wanted to go to the Yule Ball with him in fourth year.

"Of course I will," she answered brightly.

"Really?" Ron exclaimed incredulously, grinning madly. "Great, I'm so pleased you said yes!"

"Yeah, I'm glad too," Hermione said, looking back at her essay, but then suddenly felt his hand on hers.

_Uh oh!_

"I also wanted to say –" But he paused again and Hermione held her breath in as she realised what he was about to tell her. But she was wrong.

"Thank you," he finished. He kissed her on the cheek and left, leaving her behind, bewildered.

Was she unintentionally leading him on? Sure, she had had a crush on him back in fourth year, but she had never thought of Ron as a boyfriend or anybody else for that matter except Dr -, no Mal -, actually nobody.

It wasn't like that Slytherin git was going to ask her to the Ball anyway. She was a Gryffindor after all, and everyone already knew that he was going with Abigail. Hell, the whole school knew about them going together and couldn't stop talking about it. It was Hogwarts biggest gossip at the moment; how Abby had dumped Zabini and was now Malfoy's date for the ball. Hermione, of course, took no notice of the rumours, but still wondered how Malfoy had managed to convince Abigail to go with him.

******************..~**~..**

"Found it!" Ginny squealed, holding out another dress from the rack.

"Ginny, for God's sake, I don't want -"

But Hermione paused, speechless, as she looked at the gown and gawked.

"Oh Gin, it's absolutely perfect!" she managed to cry out.

A few days later, Hermione was looking at her reflection in the mirror and felt sudden panic bubble inside of her.

"I'm not going!" she cried out, over her shoulder.

"Oh Hermione, honestly! You look gorgeous! I didn't even think you, of all people, could look so good," Ginny retorted grinning.

Hermione glared back at her before contemplating the mirror once more. She was wearing a creamy white satin strappy dress, which flowed from her waist down, but modelled her upper part of her body quite nicely. The cleavage was a problem though, there was too much of it. How come she didn't notice it in the shop?

"Hermione, you're a witch," Ginny reminded her with a hint of exasperation in her voice. They had been getting ready for several hours now. "If you want a few adjustments, just use your wand."

Ginny stood behind her friend in a dark blue velvet dress, very much like Hermione's, but with sleeves. She was waiting impatiently for Hermione to finally come down to the common room, where Ron and Harry were waiting for them. Ginny had asked Harry out to the ball as friends and he had accepted after much persuasion. He seemed depressed yet again ever since he had found out about Abigail and Malfoy.

"Are you coming yet?" Ginny asked again impatiently. "I don't want to miss the start. Besides as Head Girl, you should have been there ten minutes ago!"

It was true, Hermione was late, but she had purposely delayed going to the Great Hall where the ball was held to avoid a certain blond Slytherin.

"Yes, I'll be down in a sec," she answered, using her wand to put her hair up in a stylish manner.

"You look – wow!" Ron muttered loudly, as Hermione finally joined him in the Gryffindor common room.

"Thanks," she answered smiling. In truth she was quite glad of her appearance. She didn't think she had it in her to look so sensual and glamorous, but it really all came down to the dress.

"Right, I'd better hurry for Head duties. I'll see you at the ball in a bit," she called out, walking hurriedly out through the Fat Lady's portrait.

Reaching the Great Hall, she stopped a few seconds to contemplate the magical decorations. Everything had been decorated with silver and white and the hall looked absolutely stunning. It was as if she was walking into a fairy tale world. She spotted McGonagall glaring at her from across the room and quickly started helping a couple of prefects arrange the buffet. She also noticed the wizard band getting ready in the corner for the dance.

The first couples started arriving and soon the hall was filling up within seconds. Only fourth years and above were allowed at the ball this year, the others students had already gone home or had stayed within their common rooms.

Dumbledore suddenly appeared on the raised dais next to the band and Hermione, having finished her duties, turned around to listen to him just as he performed a 'Sonorus' spell. She didn't see a pair of steel grey eyes follow her every movement from across the hall.

She was quickly joined by Ron, Harry and Ginny as Dumbledore started a very long speech about Christmas and its values. She quickly tuned out, having heard it before and looked around the ballroom appreciating the other girls' dresses and received a few jealous glances from them in return and also a few winks from a couple of Ravenclaw guys, which caused her cheeks to turn red.

However, her ears suddenly picked up on the unexpected last words of Dumbledore's speech.

"And to start a new tradition this year, I now invite the Head Girl and Boy to open the ball with a dance. Enjoy your evening everyone."

The crowd of students and teachers cheered and applauded as Hermione looked back at Ron in horror. She had to dance with Malfoy in front of the whole school? Why hadn't the teachers warned her before?

The hall went dark and a spotlight suddenly burst on her. Hermione her cheeks go red as hundreds of eyes fell upon her. Smiling from embarrassment, she quickly made her way to the centre of the dance floor where Malfoy stood waiting for her.

As most of the other boys he was wearing a Muggle tuxedo and Hermione felt she was going to swoon at the mere sight of him. He looked incredibly angelic and under the spotlight, his ivory skin seemed to gleam. His hair was perfectly combed back except for his bangs, which fell into his eyes, casting shadows upon them.

Like a true gentleman, Malfoy held out his hand and as soon as she took it, the music began. It was a waltz and Hermione was grateful she knew how to dance to it.

"Looking good Granger," Malfoy drawled in her ear as they danced around the hall, watched by everyone. He had no trouble dancing at all and Hermione noticed that his limping must have finally healed. "Almost seem like a Pureblood."

Hermione decided to ignore the insult and smiled up at him instead. "You like the dress then?"

"Definitely," he answered, his eyes shining devilishly.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she admitted, as they waltzed around the dance floor.

At her words, the hand on her back slipped lower down to her waist. "I know. I'm a Malfoy," he stated with confidence. The other couples finally joined in and Hermione felt herself drowned in a human sea.

"Didn't know you could dance," Malfoy continued to whisper in her ear.

Hermione laughed softly at his comment. She had learnt over the years by watching Muggle movies and practicing during New Year's Eve parties with her dad.

"You don't know much about me," she retorted teasingly.

"You're wrong," he breathed softly, "I know you still want me."

His words caused Hermione to abruptly stop dancing. Luckily, the song had also finished at that instant and Malfoy immediately left her side before she could answer him, disappearing through the crowd just as Ron appeared behind her.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked her, looking quite worried. "I can't believe they made you dance with that prick!"

She smiled warmly back at him and reassured him that she was fine, finally accepting to dance with him as her mind wandered elsewhere.

Several hours later, Hermione had left the dancefloor after dancing with several Gryffindor boys and found herself seated at a table by herself still contemplating on Malfoy's words. What was wrong with him? Why did he keep rejecting her? They hadn't spoken to each other for several days and suddenly he was saying all these things. Why?

What exactly was happening between them? Is this what people called love?

But Hermione quickly dismissed the thought, preferring to confront the Slytherin instead of spending the rest of her evening trying to decipher his emotions. Reaching the Slytherin end of the Great Hall, she spotted Abigail for the first time. The Slytherin girl was dancing near the tables with Blaise and looked extremely bored. She had gained back the weight she had lost over the past few months, although she still looked thin. Her dress was simply amazing and Hermione wouldn't have been surprised if Malfoy himself had picked it out for her. She wore a dark green satin dress, which had several layers to it. The top part was a corset whilst the rest of the gown flowed freely around the girl's legs. She looked stunning, but quite uncomfortable.

Hermione noticed a few guys trying to catch Abigail's eye, but they soon took the hint that she was with Blaise as he glared back at them. Abby seemed completely oblivious to them and instead her eyes suddenly focused on somebody else standing across the hall.

Following her line of sight, Hermione realised that she was staring at Harry, who was dancing with Ginny nearby. He seemed to be enjoying himself and as soon as he noticed Abigail's gaze, he dared to wink back at her. Hermione watched them from afar as the next dance started and Harry walked through the crowd towards Abigail, who discreetly left Blaise's side and cunningly side-stepped past several Slytherin guys, unnoticed.

But she did not manage to fool Malfoy, who immediately appeared behind her. As he realised who Abigail was planning to dance with next, he swiftly grabbed her arm and spun her round, away from the Boy Who Lived.

Hermione stepped even closer to the Slytherins in order to hear their conversation as they began to dance to the music, both glaring angrily at each other.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked her dangerously.

Abigail looked anything but pleased to see him.

"Nothing," she answered loudly over the music.

"I hope so," Malfoy continued, leading her around the dance floor. "Remember Abby, keep away from Gryffindors. Us Slytherins stick together."

"Whatever you say Malfoy. You know I'm only doing this because you said you'd help me with my father in return," she said coldly.

"We'll see about that when you stop making goo goo eyes at Potter!"

Abigail suddenly pushed him away in anger and stormed out of the Hall and outside into the gardens. Hermione followed her out with her eyes until she felt her hair stand on end as if she were being watched. A pair of fiercesome grey eyes had spotted her, eavesdropping.

Malfoy.

Neither of them noticed Harry follow Abigail out into the gardens as Hermione turned away and innocently picked up a drink from a nearby table, making her way over to the Gryffindor corner until she heard her name being called out.

Turning back around, Malfoy stood right behind her, looking very annoyed.

"Eavesdropping on Slytherins, are you?" he asked coldly.

"No," she lied.

"Don't play dumb Hermione," he warned her. "Your curiosity has no limits."

Realising lying was no good, Hermione sighed deeply in return. "You can't control her, she's not your puppet," she told him bluntly.

His silver eyes instantly narrowed down at her. "That does not concern you in any way."

_Oh Malfoy, if you only knew about Abigail and I, what would you say then?_

"What do you want from her?" she finally dared to ask, sipping her drink nonchalantly. "How did she ever accept to go to the ball with you?"

Her questions remained unanswered as Malfoy looked around him cautiously before pushing Hermione away from the crowd. He apparently didn't want anyone overhearing their own conversation.

"Why must you always make things so complicated?" he whispered loudly, holding onto her arm. Two deep pools of silver looked straight back at her and she felt something inside her shrink.

"I think you know why, Draco," she breathed out.

Caught off guard, Malfoy seemed surprised before his expressionless mask returned and he gripped her arm harshly and led her outside into the gardens. None of the students seemed to notice the tension between them as they walked down the flower path hurriedly. The garden was beautifully decorated and dimly lit; perfect for couples that wanted a bit of intimacy, but all Hermione could think about was the cold winter wind, encircling her body and causing her skin to have goosebumps.

She shivered at the cold but refused to go back inside without getting any answers. As soon as they were far enough away from the other students, she felt Malfoy let go of her. She turned around to face him, but he walked off straight past her, avoiding her gaze and refusing to even look at her.

Hermione had had enough, it was time she got those answers.

"What do you feel, Draco?" she asked him, suddenly set and determined although he had turned his back on her.

"I don't feel anything," he answered on the beat, harshly.

Refusing to be brought down by the cold or his coldness, Hermione stepped closer to him. "I think you do, Draco. I think you're just scared of what it might be," she breathed out.

He suddenly turned to face her and smirked. "Wait – is this about love?" he laughed out. "Do you think that I love you?"

Watching him laugh at her hurt more than she had realised, but she knew it was nothing but pretence.

"I don't know, that's for you to figure out," she admitted calmly. "But as long as you hide from those feelings, you'll just keep rejecting me, only to lure me back and reject me again! And I can't take it anymore, enough is enough!"

Why she was saying all this, she wasn't sure anymore. But she was fed up of his games and it was time someone put a stop to it. Malfoy glared dangerously at her, but it only angered Hermione more than anything else.

"You're just too screwed up inside to realise what you even really feel, Draco!" she shouted back at him. She could see him shaking with rage, but it didn't stop her. "You refuse to have any feelings and so you let yourself become someone you're not!"

"You're wrong!" he roared to her, meaning to leave, but she held him back.

"No matter what you say, love got the better of you! It was stronger than your own will!" Hermione's lower lip began to tremble from the cold, but she didn't care. It was now or never; if she couldn't get to him now, then there was no more hope left.

Malfoy looked back at her speechless and his silence exasperated her. She let go of his arm and stepped away from him, laughing bitterly and throwing her own arms up in defeat.

"You know what, you're right!" she cried out angrily. "I do want you, but I'm not giving in this time!"

******************..~**~..**

* * *

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ginny asked, eyeing her drunken friend anxiously. "You've had an awful lot of Firewhiskey and let's face it, you hardly ever drink!"

Sitting in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione looked at the party around her. The prefects had organised an after-party in every house but it was obvious that Hermione was miles away from the Gryffindor one.

When she finally got to the party, after clearing up the hall, half the people in Gryffindor Tower were already drunk and Ron had even tried to kiss her, but she had pushed him away. He had then passed out on his bed and Hermione had curled up in a corner downing drink after drink.

It was pathetic really. Even she admitted to it, but she couldn't help herself.

_Damn Malfoy! Why did he chose to become a stupid Death Eater anyway? Why does he has to torment me like this? And why does he have to be so damn gorgeous in that suit?_

"Hey Hermione?" Ginny asked again, waving a hand in front of her friend. "Have you seen Harry?"

"No," she answered quietly, getting up to her feet. Her head began to spin incredibly fast and she held onto the wall for balance. Ginny went off to fetch her some water and then, they set off to the Heads quarter, after finally spotting Harry among the Gryffindor boys.

A couple of hours later, when Hermione finally entered her common room, she suddenly noticed how dark it was inside. She meant to sit down by the fire but realised Malfoy had beaten her to it. He was sitting quietly in an armchair, leaning forward towards the fire and with his hands over his head. He had taken his jacket off and with the light of the fire, Hermione could see his lean body through his white shirt.

He was incredibly handsome.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Draco Malfoy, sulking in front of the fire. How very touching!" she sneered as she kicked off her shoes and fell on the couch, facing his back.

Malfoy looked at her with narrowed eyes and got up from his seat.

"Are you drunk?" he asked coldly.

"Nooo!" she answered childishly, smiling to herself. "Okay maybe - whatever - I'm heading off to bed in any case."

She got up swiftly, picking up her shoes, but Malfoy stood by her in a flash.

"Sit down," he ordered. "We need to talk."

"No we don't. I don't care about anything you have to say. I am fed up of talking to you: my enemy, in case you don't remember, a man without feelings!" she spat out, before turning around to leave.

"Hermione, I-"

"No!" she cut in. It wasn't fair; he couldn't just say her name like that anymore! He didn't love her after all. "Just leave me alone, Malfoy. Let's just forget it all, enough is enough don't you think?"

She walked back to her flight of stairs, but he quickly held her back.

"For God's sake, what the hell do you want?" she cried out angrily, turning back to face him.

"You."

Before she could answer him, he lifted her chin with his hand and kissed her. Hermione felt her mind go blank as she sensed his soft lips on hers and quickly dropped the shoes from her hand. It was as if Draco had lit her up from inside and she responded to him with passion. Granting him access to her mouth, his tongue explored it, softly massaging her own. She pulled him eagerly closer and in the end her back hit the stair railing, as the kiss became more lustful, making her moan with delight.

Hermione had been waiting for this all night; all year or maybe all her life.

His hands left her waist and made their way up her dress. He lifted her up and she instantly wrapped her legs around his waist. Without disconnecting the kiss, Draco made his way to Hermione's room where they both fell onto the bed.

Hermione laughed softly, the effects of alcohol still wearing off, although she was perfectly aware of what she was doing. Draco grinned at her, as his hair fell into his eyes and his soft grey eyes looked into hers.

He was gorgeous and tonight he was hers.

Draco's smile slowly faded to a frown. "Hermione," he whispered to her, his silver orbs gleaming in the moonlight. "I don't know where this will take us."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a warm smile. Whatever it was she was feeling now, she had tasted enough to know that she didn't want to stop. For a first time in a very long time, Hermione was happy and she wouldn't think about the consequences of her actions until tomorrow.

Draco started kissing her again, trailing down to her neck as Hermione lay back on her bed moaning in pleasure and inhaling his intoxicating scent. Her body was on fire and her mind in heaven as his hands continued to roam over her curves. Draco lay lightly on top of her, between her legs and she could feel he was getting excited too. Her dress had come right up to her hips and would soon come off altogether.

Hermione started to undress him as he kissed her fully on the mouth. First the bow tie, which already hung loosely around his neck, then she untucked his shirt, unbuttoning it as fast as she could. Nearly ripping it off, Hermione then proceeded to slide out of her dress and Draco unhooked her bra. She lay under him, half naked and suddenly felt shy, but he looked at her with the same lust and ardour in his eyes and soon started kissing her again, slowly making his way down to her breasts.

She was back in pure bliss as Draco's mouth sucked at her nipples while his hand roamed along her thighs.

"We'll need a contraceptive charm," he mumbled continuing to work his magic.

"I'm on the pill," Hermione almost moaned out.

He looked up at her confused, but she smiled back. "It's a Muggle thing, don't worry."

He fell back on her, kissing her frantically as he pulled off his black trousers and finally his boxers. Hermione finally shed her knickers off and shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" he asked her softly.

She nodded and he pulled the covers over them. As he entered her, Hermione gasped grasping the sheets tighter in pain but it soon got better as she loosened up enjoying the pleasure he was giving her. She felt hot flashes all over and inside her and an incredible feeling started to grow in the pit of her stomach. She wanted more; she was craving for more.

Murmuring his name in his ear, she arched her back, holding onto his strong broad shoulders, both moaning with pleasure before falling back on the bed, sweating and breathing hard.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Hermione woke up in the middle of the night with a start. Memories of the night slowly came back to her as she felt Draco's strong arms around her...

_Oh my God, what have I done? _

She clung onto the satin sheets, wanting the intolerable feeling of guilt inside of her to disappear. Turning around, she looked out through the window, having forgotten to close the curtains and thought about what had just happened to her. Her very first time.

A single tear suddenly dropped from her cheek on to her sheets.

_I can't believe I gave up my virginity to Draco Malfoy! _

Feelings of shame and disgust crept in her mind, but as she looked down on the peaceful angel sleeping next to her, an arm wrapped around her waist, her heart melted and a smile appeared on her face. Whether she would admit it to herself or not, Hermione Granger had fallen for the Slytherin with angelic features and she had fallen deep.

Hermione woke up the next day feeling hung over and cold. The warmth of the arms holding her during the night had gone and as she rolled over confused, the bed was empty.

Draco was gone.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

**Yay, they finally had sex! And it was bloody time as well! I'm sorry for those who were frustrated it took so long but it had to be plausible. It's the first time I'm writing lime and its really hard so tell me if it was good or not.**

**Just a few things for you guys to think about… what are Harry and Abigail up to? Where the hell did Draco go? And trust me, unfortunately, he didn't leave to get breakfast (seriously when does that ever happen except in movies!) What's going to happen now that it's the Christmas holidays?**

**Next chapter: Abigail accidentally tells Harry that she's giving lessons to Draco, she meets a confused Hermione and goes to Malfoy Manor to save her father but Lucius gets in the way…**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I spent quite some time on this chapter and need everybody's thoughts about it! Thank you and Happy New Year! **

**Hathor xxx**


	24. Malfoy Manor

**Author's Notes:** **Sorry guys about the wait but it took some time before I could find an internet café where fanfiction actually worked. I am sooo amazed at the number of reviews I got and will personally thank everybody next time when internet isn't so damn expensive!**

**Thank you again and again! Enjoy!**

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Chapter 24

* * *

It was finally the Christmas holidays and Abigail felt happier than ever as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat by herself, away from the Slytherins. She was too lost in her thoughts about last night to notice Pansy sending her jealous glares or Blaise trying to catch her eye.

******************..~**~..**

Abigail stormed out of the Great Hall to the gardens nearly stumbling on her ball gown. _To hell with Malfoy! What a pompous ass!_ She fumed silently as she stepped into Hogwarts gardens, avoiding the couples sitting on the benches.

Harry soon caught up with her and smiled amused as she continued ranting about the Slytherin Prince. He finally gave her his cloak as she began to shiver from the cold and held her in his arms, trying to keep her warm.

"You know, if someone saw us like this, we'd be in so much trouble," she began, looking up into his gleaming green eyes.

They looked even more alive and powerful than ever and Abigail suddenly realised how close Harry was standing before her. He leaned in casually and she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she felt his body pressed against hers through the cloak.

"I don't care about the others," Harry whispered softly in her ear. "Do you?"

Abigail looked back at him surprised. It was the first time she had ever heard Harry speak with the same confidence and near arrogance as in fifth-year. She was even more surprised as he suddenly leaned in to kiss her. His warm soft lips seemed to melt against hers and deciding that she didn't care either about what the others could say, she kissed him back.

******************..~**~..**

Sitting at the Slytherin table, Abigail realised Malfoy was missing, which seemed strange as he rarely missed any meals. She looked up at the Gryffindor table and spotted an empty space next to Ron and Harry. However, she forgot about Malfoy and Granger the moment she caught Harry's eye. He winked at her and then pointed discreetly to the main door. Abigail quickly understood that he wanted her to follow him.

Waiting for him to leave the hall, she got up and followed him out several minutes later into the main corridor, which was always empty during breakfast time. Looking around for Harry, she suddenly felt a hand grab her from behind and pull her back.

Spinning around, Abigail came face to face with the grinning Gryffindor.

"Hi!"

"Hey!" she greeted, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"I just wanted to say that I missed you," he said, dropping kisses down her neck.

Abigail giggled softly, but eventually pushed him back.

"I'm sorry Harry, but I need to find Malfoy before he leaves Hogwarts. I need to settle a few things with him," she said, taking his hand in her own.

Harry's face fell at her words. "Malfoy? What for?"

"I'm going to his house, or rather manor in a couple of days. My father is there and I need see to him," she answered trying to sound casual about it.

However, Harry's reaction wasn't quite the one she had expected. He dropped her hand and furrowed his brows, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Harry, there's no need to be upset. I think my father is being held there against his will and Draco is going to help me get him out."

_Oh no, did I just say Draco?_ Abigail mentally kicked herself for saying his first name as she watched Harry try to control his rising anger.

"Well, if you need to settle things with – _Draco_, what are you waiting for then?" he said between clenched teeth, stepping aside.

"Harry, come on, you know it's not like that," Abigail tried to defend herself. "He finally agreed during our last lesson to help me with my dad and –"

But she abruptly fell silent as she realised her own mistake.

Harry's eyes narrowed at her words. "Lesson? You don't have any lessons in common with Malfoy."

Abigail took a deep breath, not too sure what to say next._ What the hell! I can't keep my deal with Malfoy from him forever._

"No, it's not what you think," she told him quietly. "I'm actually teaching Malfoy some magic."

She felt so guilty as she spoke that she could barely look at him. Harry paused as he battled with his mind about this new piece of information. Abigail thought she had made a mistake before, but now, this seemed far worse.

"You're teaching Malfoy your family magic?" he demanded coldly, his green eyes narrowed at her.

Abigail panicked at the harsh sound of his voice. "I thought you knew," she lied, feeling her heart beat rapidly against her chest. "I thought I'd made it quite clear to you, Harry. My family is neutral to this war, but I saved Ginny and killed a Death Eater and so in order to remain neutral, I have to help the other side by teaching Malfoy."

"And when were you planning on telling me this?" he suddenly shouted at her, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Does Dumbledore even know about this?"

"Snape does," Abigail breathed out, fearing another outburst.

"Great!" he yelled once more backing away from her. "This just keeps getting better and better! Tell me Abby, with how many more of my enemies do you spend time with behind my back? No, don't tell me: you also meet up with Voldemort for tea every Tuesday!"

She deserved every ounce of his anger, but it still stung her badly and Harry wasn't finished yet. "Do you realise that this could all get us killed!" he whispered furiously as students began to file out of the Great Hall. He was starting to frighten Abigail. She had never seen him so angry before.

"No I swear, no one is going to die!" she cried out, her face turning pale at his words.

"Oh, of course!" Sarcasm seethed through his words as his bright green eyes glared down at her. "And last year; all those friends we used to know Abby, what do you think happened to them?"

He glared at her intently, a look of revolt on his face. His words had had the same effect on Abigail as a slap across the face and she merely stared back at him, speechless, and with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Harry, you're not being fair," she said quietly, looking up at his angry face. "I wouldn't help Malfoy if it was up to me, but I don't have any choice in this!"

"No, you're the one not playing fair, Abigail. How very Slytherin of you!" he said in disgust before walking away from her.

Abigail watched him disappear amongst the crowd in a daze until she felt hot tears fall on her cheeks.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Barely an hour later, Abigail finally spotted Malfoy in the main hall, waiting by his school trunk.

"What happened?" he asked as he saw Abigail's red eyes.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she answered softly. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, right now," he said, looking troubled. "I'll see you in a couple of days. We'll meet as planned. If you want to save your father, then everything HAS to go as planned. Do you understand?"

He looked at her sternly, but Abigail noticed something about him was wrong. Somehow, he didn't seem as cold anymore, but much more nervous. What was going on?

"Fine, I'll see you soon then," she told him as he enchanted his trunk and left the castle. She watched him disappear down the muddy path until he reached the Hogwarts entrance gates where Apparition was possible.

Watching him leave, Abigail secretly wished that she were Malfoy for a second - he was going home to his family for Christmas - her family, on the other hand, would never be the same again.

"Have you seen Dr - er, Malfoy?" a voice suddenly asked behind her.

Jumping back to reality, Abigail turned around to see a very anxious-looking Hermione, with wild bed hair and a tired expression on her face.

_Looks like Granger's experiencing the delights of a hangover._

"He's just left," she told her, raising a curious eyebrow at her. "Hermione, I don't mean to be rude, but you look awful! Exactly how much did you drink last night?"

"Oh no, it's not the alcohol!" Hermione answered quickly, trying to smoothen down her hair. "I just – didn't sleep very well."

She seemed very odd and confused, but Abigail thought nothing of it. Before she could bid her goodbye, the Gryffindor girl suddenly grabbed her arm and led her aside, away from the other students.

"Abby, I have to tell you something," she whispered quietly to her. Her mind seemed to battle on whether or not she could reveal her secret and then, she remained silent for several seconds.

Abigail rolled her eyes. "Hermione, I don't have all day. What is it?"

The Head Girl quickly snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, I – I just wanted you to know that – well – that – that –"

She paused avoiding Abigail's eyes. _What on earth is wrong with her?_

"That time you saw Dumbledore, before you went to hospital, well it wasn't him!" Hermione eventually blurted out.

Abigail blinked back at her. "What?"

"I talked to McGonagall after and we're sure about it. The man you and Harry saw that day you were brought to the hospital wing wasn't Albus Dumbledore," she explained more slowly.

"Merlin's beard!" Abigail breathed out quietly. "Who do you think it was?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," Hermione answered, shrugging her shoulders. "But I do hope that he wasn't a Death Eater."

They stared at each other in silence, lost in their thoughts before Hermione finally spoke up.

"I need to go and get changed otherwise I'm going to miss breakfast entirely. Happy Christmas Abigail, I hope you enjoy your holidays," she said politely, although her eyes were full of worry.

"And please be careful," she added as an afterthought. "Remember you're not all powerful and Death Eaters will surely come after you for saving Ginny."

Abigail was surprised at Hermione's sudden honesty but didn't let it show on her face and smirked instead. "And who said I wasn't all powerful like the Death Eaters?" she teased, laughing as she spoke.

Chocolate brown eyes filled with pity gazed back at her.

"Abby, you're just a sixteen-year-old witch."

Her deadpanned voice struck Abby like ice-cold water and instantly wiped the grin of the Slytherin girl's face. Turning her heels, Hermione quickly stepped back up the stairs, leaving a baffled Serpent behind.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail spent the next couple of days by herself at Hogwarts. Nearly all the students had gone back home for Christmas and the castle was oddly empty. She managed to return to St Mungo's to see her mother, whose condition had not improved since the previous visit. Abigail swore to thoroughly read the Serpent books once she was home again to find some sort of potion that could help her get better, although she already knew that there were none.

All day long she couldn't help thinking about Harry and the argument they had had. The Boy Who Lived surely hated her now. She tried not to think about it too much, but it bugged her day and night and she finally decided to write him a letter to say how sorry she was and ask for his forgiveness. It was the least she could do after all.

Finally, it was time to meet with Malfoy. Before noon, Abigail packed her bags and left the castle for Hogsmeade where she could safely Apparate to their rendez-vous point. It was a small Muggle town not far away from Malfoy Manor. Lucius wasn't supposed to be back from some sort of Ministry business until the following week and so Malfoy would pick her up from the Muggle town and help her rescue her father kept in the manor.

When Abigail Apparated to the small town, she quickly took off her black school cloak, revealing denim jeans, heels, a thick winter jacket and a shoulder bag where all her belongings had been shrunk in size to fit in. She walked down the town's high street, looking curiously around although she had been to the Muggle world several times. She sometimes preferred it to the magical one. Looking at the Christmas decorations in the shop windows, she smiled. It reminded her of home and it suddenly hit her how much she missed it.

Out of nowhere, Abigail slowly heard the sound of a roaring engine and screeching tires approaching behind her. She turned around and made a face as she saw a silver Lamborghini speeding down the street and abruptly halt in front of her.

_Dear Merlin, you have got to be kidding me! And I thought he hated Muggles and everything that belonged to them!_

The driver's black tainted window rolled down, revealing a devilish smirk.

"Hey Malfoy," Abigail greeted with sarcasm. "Did Daddy buy you a new car?"

He opened the door for her and she walked around the car to hop inside.

"Talking about Lucius, we have a problem," he told her quickly as he took his foot off the brakes and sped off down the road again. "He came back from his 'business' trip last night."

Putting her seatbelt on quickly and cringing in fear every time the car swerved round a corner, Abigail cast him a concerned look. "Okay, well I guess we'll just have to deal with him first."

"Remember, there's no 'we' in this. He mustn't know I'm helping you," he cautioned her, turning left onto the motorway.

"Okay, okay!" Abigail cried out annoyed and she switched on the radio, which suddenly blasted out some latest Muggle song.

"Merlin, you actually listen to that stuff?" Malfoy exclaimed, looking at her in disgust.

"Hey! I'm not the one driving some Muggle means of transport!" Abigail cried back in disbelief.

He shrugged as they came to the gates of the Malfoy estate. They were enormous, bigger than anything Abigail had ever seen, and a large 'M' was engraved in the middle. It took them more than twenty minutes to actually cross Malfoy park and reach the house or rather mansion Abigail realised as she stepped out of the car.

"Wow," she exclaimed looking at Malfoy Manor in admiration. It wasn't the creepy and dark house she had pictured at all, although it did seem rather old. The snow-covered park around it was beautiful and Malfoy, stepping out of the car, smirked back at her.

"Like it?" he bragged before leading her to the large front door. It opened straight away before they even reached it and a tiny creature, a house elf, stood behind the large dark mahogany door looking frightened as anything.

"Oh, you have a house elf!" Abigail said excitedly, smiling brightly. "My mother never allowed us to have one!"

Malfoy looked at her strangely before turning back to his elf. "Where's Father, Speck?" he bellowed at him.

"In his office," the petrified creature squeaked before rushing off into the house.

"Malfoy!" Abigail steamed, hitting him in the arm. "You frightened it!"

He shrugged before making his way into the house towards his father's study, literally dragging Abigail along with him as she kept pausing to admire each and every room.

"We have to be quick and surprise him before the house elves tell him that I'm back!" he reminded her before finally reaching another pair of large oak doors.

"Just walk in and stun him or something," Malfoy suggested to her.

"What? You're a Death Eater and that's the best plan you could come up with?" Abigail exclaimed in a whisper. "I already have a plan anyway so stop worrying!"

She entered the large room and immediately saw Malfoy Senior, Voldemort's second in command with his back turned to her, ruffling through some papers.

"I already told you not to disturb me!" he barked loudly, making the mistake of keeping his back turned.

Abigail smiled at his stupidity as she pulled out her wand. "I think you can probably make an exception for me," she called out amused.

Spinning around furiously, Lucius took his wand out in a flash, but it whipped out of his hands and into Abigail's before he could use it. "What are you doing here?" he growled at her.

"How rude! You're the one who invited me over for Christmas, remember?" she reminded him, stepping closer to him. "But in all honesty, it was only a matter of time before I eventually came to see my father."

She was only a few metres away from him now and held her wand dangerously pointed at him.

"Now if you don't mind Lucius, I'd like to see him without you being in my way. _Stonificus!_" she cursed at him.

Caught off guard, Lucius screeched out in pain as his body slowly changed from pale white flesh to pale grey granit. Within a few seconds, the study fell silent again as Lucius's body had completely transformed into a stone statue. Malfoy rushed in at the cry and stopped abruptly as he saw the statue of his father before him.

"How the hell did you do that?" he demanded, his eyes wide open with shock.

"I already taught you that spell," Abigail answered quickly, turning her heel on Lucius.

"You mean the 'Stonificus' spell can even be used on people?" he stated in disbelief as she walked past him and out of the study.

"Yes," she said with unease as she realised Malfoy's enthusiasm. "But it takes time and practice and it only worked for your father because the idiot let his guard down and didn't have a wand to defend himself."

Malfoy looked dumbstruck at his father and suddenly turned around, a frown on his face. "Can he hear us?"

"No," she answered impatiently, looking for a way back to the main entrance. "Can we find my father now?"

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**What did you think? I had a lot of fun adding the Lamborghini in, it just screams 'Malfoy', don't you think? Lol! Its been a while since I wrote this chapter and there were things I wanted to change but I can't remember. If I do, I will. **

**Next chapter will be up hopefully in a week's time when I'm back! Review...**


	25. Haunted

**Hello everybody! Sorry about the delay but it took me ages to write this chapter. Turkey was great, I definitely recommend it as holiday destination.**

**So as I was saying chapter 25 was a toughie… I spent quite some time trying to figure out what to write and then ended up deleting everything. You guys would have flamed me big time if I had kept the first draft… it was just soo boring!**

**Finally I can get through to thanking everyone personally for the reviews, I can't believe the number of reviews I'm getting now! Keep it up people!**

**Senya Lady Of Serpents: Thank you for the reviews. I like you penname by the way. Are you a fan of Hermione and Draco pairings too?**

**Jaded Rena: Glad you liked it! Thanx for the review, I try my best to please you guys!**

**Roguish muse: Thank you so much for your reviews, I luv 'em! Lol, yep Hermione was being a bad girl in chappie 23 and unfortunately Draco is an evil git because he left her! So you think this fic isn't going to end well? You'll have to read til the end. I'm glad you appreciate the Harry/Abby pairing, its hard to bring in OCs. This next chapter will answer your questions about Draco and Hermione, enjoy!**

**Valoankea: Thank you for saying my English is good. I tried my best to update asap but it was kinda hard from Turkey…Whether Draco is good or bad that's up to you to decide for the moment. Enjoy the next chapter.**

**Rachel: Thanx for the reviews, I like hearing from new people!**

**Sweetblood17: Lol, I'm evil aren't I? Making Draco simply leave Hermione just at the start of the holidays as well… oh wellthey'll be together soon enough. Thank you for the reviews!**

**Starlight-Heart: Hiya thanks for the reviews, they were really cool and don't worry, you made perfect sense to me. Draco and Hermione aren't a couple in my fic… yet.. and that's all I'm saying! As for Harry and Abby well you'll find out soon but I thought their last conversation was quite harsh coming from him so it was cool that you found it funny! Unfortunately as you'll read, there'll be no letters from Draco… enjoy this chappie!**

**Nikki: Glad you like my fanfic and yes you're right, now that New Year and Turkey is out of the way, I can write more! Though I have tons of homework to catch up on…. Thanks for the review!**

**Cranky: I can't believe my fic made you cry. You're not the first but I still can't believe the effect some of my chapters have on people! I hope you got to read the next chapters and you'll enjoy this one.**

**Lady Serpent: Thank you for reviewing and don't worry about Draco and Hermione, more sex to come… lol. Enjoy the chappie!**

**XOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXO: Sorry it took 23 chapters to Draco/Hermione finally together! But hey where's the fun in making them shag straight away? I've tried to make this fic somehow plausible. Thank you for the review and I promise I won't take so long next time.**

**May: Turkey was great! I'm glad you found chapter 23 well written, I was really anxious about it. Thanks for the review!**

**Bootstrap Beka: Hiya! Thank you for the two reviews, I'm glad you're still following my fic. Enjoy!**

**Halo marine1: Thank you SO much for this review! I'm glad you appreciate the character development because it's the hardest thing to do! Hope you'll catch up and read the next chapters.**

**Captain Oblivious: I'm so happy you think this fic is well written, I'm always anxious about my English. I know Abigail sometimes behaves like Mary Sue but its soo tempting, lol. Don't worry, she's very far from it though.**

**Dracocrazyem: Hello! Happy new year too! Yeah, they finally did it, I'm glad too! Harry and Ron won't discover about Hermione and Draco for a while but Hogwarts will soon know about Abigail and Hermione being related. As for Abigail's mom, she was handed over to her closest relatives in England at the time. Unfortunately Abigail and her dad live abroad as the Serpents have been forced to exile for unknown reasons… enjoy the new chapter!**

**MelMalfoy: Thank you for reviewing. Don't worry Draco and Hermione should son get together but I can't promise anything more. Glad you liked it and you'll soon find out for Abby and Harry.**

**Aikia: Wow, I can't believe you read it all in one go. I don't know if I could even do that… Thank you for the review, I love hearing from new people. Enjoy the rest!**

**Black Rose15: Hiya, I'll read your fic this weekend if I can and leave a review. I'm glad you enjoy mine and you think it's a good one. Thank you for the review, they make my day!**

**Lachupaca: Lol, sorry about the evil cliffhangers but its hard not to finish a chapter without one. I'm glad you were surprised by the sudden twists in my fic, I try my best to keep you guys interested! Thanx for reviewing!**

**Moonshine07: What can I say? His name is Malfoy after all…hope you get to read the rest!**

**I think that's all for now, if I missed anyone, sorry and definitely flame me for it!**

**And now to the actual fanfic…**

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Chapter 25

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"I've never been here before," Draco admitted as he led a nervous Abigail down to the dungeons.

He lit the torches up and Abigail gasped at the horrific sight before them. Draco wasn't surprised by what they found. Several tables lay before them covered with blood and surrounded with torture instruments. The walls were splattered with dried up blood and the smell was intolerable. Along another corridor there were several cells which all had metal chains and shackles inside.

Draco followed Abigail, who panicking, ran from cell to cell, calling out for her father. They were all empty except for the last one.

She recognised her father immediately and halted. He was sitting on a stone bench, his wrists and ankles chained to the wall behind. His clothes were dirty and falling to pieces and he looked very thin and tired. His left cheek was bruised and his lips were dark with dried blood.

Draco opened the cell for her. Unlike Abigail, he knew what Death Eaters were capable of to extract from their prisoners important information for the Dark Lord.

"Abigail?" her father feebly asked, lifting up his head in pain.

Abigail rushed by his side and hugged him gently. "Yes, it's me Father. I'm here. Everything will be all right now. I've come to take you home," she said in a soothing voice.

She released him from his chains with the help of magic and Draco helped her father up and out of the dungeons. He could feel the man's bones through his clothes and as soon as they were out, he used a spell to lift him in the air and carry him effortlessly to one of the numerous guestrooms.

Abigail laid him on the bed, inspecting his wounds.

"Draco, get some towels and water. Call the house elves and make sure they don't warn your mother or touch the statue and get them to make dinner. My father needs to eat something," she ordered calmly and for once, Draco did as he was told.

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Abigail stayed a week at Malfoy Manor taking endlessly care of her father, who was recovering quickly. He had slept several days, his wounds had healed and now he was eating normally again.

Draco had helped Abby as best as he could, giving orders out to the elves but mostly staying out of her way. He had hid the stone statue in one of the cells, away from his mother, who did not seem to mind the Serpents presence. On the contrary, she was delighted to have such distinguished company.

Draco spent most of his days alone in his room, thinking about his future, his present and Hermione. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Memories from the other night kept coming back in his mind at night, memories of how she felt in his arms, her pale soft skin shivering under his, her warm lips against his…

She was taking over him and he couldn't let that happen.

Draco had had enough of dreaming about Hermione and decided to go out. It was nearly midnight and the manor was quiet. Grabbing his jacket, Draco took his car keys and walked out of the manor.

He didn't realise Abigail was watching him from her window as he sped down the road towards London.

Several hours later, Draco noisily closed the large front doors behind him as he came back. He had spent the night in a Wizard nightclub, avoiding Hogwarts students and flirting with every witch he met. Even though he had drunk heavily, Hermione's image still haunted him through the night. He tried to make as little noise as possible but the Slytherin Prince was horribly drunk and kept walking into everything that surrounded him. He walked in the sitting room and saw a light on.

Abigail was sitting in an armchair, writing a letter.

"Who are you writing to?" he asked rather loudly.

She turned around and frowned as he clumsily sat next to her. "My aunt. I've accepted her invitation to spend Christmas with her."

Draco smirked at her. "At this time of night?" he saw another letter by her side and tried to snatch it but Abigail was quicker.

_Who the hell is she writing to now? It better not be Potter!_

"I couldn't sleep," she smiled back innocently to him. "Why are you drunk?"

"I don't need a reason," he answered shortly.

She helped him up and Draco suddenly realised she was only wearing a short, black nightdress. Her hair cascaded behind her and her dark eyes glistened with the light. Being drunk and horny, Draco stared down her cleavage and smirked at her. Before Abigail could protest, Draco pulled her closer to him and he licked his lips in anticipation.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked him dangerously, but she was trapped between his arms with no wand to protect her.

Draco kept his hands around her waist and leaned his body against hers. Abigail groaned as she felt his breath filled of Firewhiskey on her face.

"Come on, Abby," he whispered amused. "Relax, I know you want this."

Abigail raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "Oh really?"

She tried to push him away but he kept a strong hold on her. "I heard a lot about you from Blaise, you know. He assured me you're the best shag he's ever had!"

Abigail's eyes nearly popped out at his words but as Draco leaned in to kiss her, she suddenly disapparated from his arms and he quickly connected with the ground.

Abigail stood behind him laughing. She helped Draco up as he groaned in pain.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," was the last thing he remembered that night.

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"Concentrate Draco!" Abigail yelled to him from across the garden.

He was learning yet another difficult spell and having a hangover wasn't helping.

_"Devio Impedimenta!"_ he shouted brandishing his wand at Abigail. She had taught him a new spell, which allowed him to curse someone even though obstacles stood in the way. If Draco concentrated hard enough then the spell would bounce off the objects until it reached its target. Abigail found the spell very useful in crowded rooms.

Unfortunately Draco's spell hit one of the numerous chairs levitating in the air between Abigail and him. It exploded in the air and Abigail ducked as several wooden pieces flew towards her.

"For fuck's sake, Draco!" she shouted angrily. "You're gonna get me killed! Concentrate!"

Draco looked back at her with the same fury. "I am concentrating!" he yelled back at her. He was angry with her, but unconsciously even angrier with himself for being drunk last night and acting like a sleazy git. Before she was ready, he shouted the spell again. It hit her square in the chest and sent her flying back several metres. She landed hard on her arm and Draco heard a crack. Wincing in pain, Abigail sat up as Draco ran to her side.

"Is that good enough for you?" he said sarcastically, helping her up.

"Are you kidding me? You broke my arm, you bas–"

"Tsk, tsk, language Abigail," Draco cut in, smirking down at her. "Didn't your parents ever tell you? Swearing is not fit for purebloods."

Abigail pushed him aside, trying to repair her arm magically. "That is it Draco! No more lessons, no more spells! We are through, my debt is repaid!"

"Fine." Draco was on his way back to the mansion but he could feel Abigail's eyes on his back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked suspiciously. "Something's been wrong with you all week! What is it?"

Draco paused at her words and turned to face her. She seemed determined to find out what was wrong with him. He hesitated as he saw her. Normally he would have dismissed her question and walked on but deep inside he wanted to tell her. He wanted Hermione out of his head and maybe Abigail could help.

Should he tell her everything? Should he admit Hermione's image had haunted him since they left Hogwarts? As Draco looked into Abby's eyes, he suddenly realised that she already knew everything. It was only a matter of time before he admitted it to her.

"It's Granger," he admitted sheepishly.

"Does she love you?" Abigail asked seriously, frowning her brows.

Draco knew the answer, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. It was too surreal, it couldn't be.

"Of course she does," she answered for him, rolling her eyes. "And you love her too."

Draco's eyes grew wide as he heard her. "What?"

She smiled at his outburst. "I can't believe you haven't realised yet. The way you look at her, the way you danced with her, how you're jealous when other guys get near her and how you absolutely love taunting her! The symptoms are there for you."

Draco smirked back. "You're out of your mind. Besides, she must hate me now after what I've done to her." He paused as he realised what he was about to tell her. "After the Ball, we did something we shouldn't have and I haven't seen her since."

Draco watched as Abigail's confused expression gradually grew into a surprised and shocked one.

"You guys had sex!" she cried out.

The grin on Draco's face was enough to answer her and she started pacing around him.

"Oh Merlin! You left her didn't you? That morning after, you left her and then she was looking for you everywhere." She stopped and looked at him slowly. "You're such a bastard!"

Draco was about to lecture her again about swearing, but quickly realised Abigail had stormed back to the mansion so he followed her.

"I don't know what to do now!" he shouted across the garden.

"That's not my problem!" Abigail shouted back, reaching the veranda but Draco quickly caught her arm and stopped her.

"You're the only one who can help me. No one else can know about it. She's a bloody Gryffindor, Abby!"

Sighing deeply, Abigail looked up at his face noticing how paradoxical he seemed with his angelic features. "You shouldn't worry about her being a Gryffindor. If you keep it a secret it'll be fine and when the war comes, you'll be able to show your true loyalties to the world so-"

"You think I'm loyal to Dumbledore," Draco cut in sternly.

"No, but you're not loyal to Voldemort either," she replied with certainty.

As Abigail caught the blank look on his face, she felt obliged to explain. "Oh come on Draco, do you actually want Voldemort to win? Are you completely insane? Of course he won't win and believe me you won't be following him till the end either. You'll have to choose your own path one day, lead your own life Draco. You'll eventually become a powerful wizard and people will follow you whatever you do-"

As she spoke Draco was surprised again at how much Abigail knew about him. How did she know he wasn't loyal to the Dark Lord? How did she know he intended to follow his own plans once the war was over? But what was all this about people following him?

"How do you know all this?" he questioned her, holding a tighter grip around her arm.

Abigail tried to pull back but couldn't. She didn't seem too keen to answer his question. "It's just a prophecy that was made a long time ago," she said vaguely. "I just thought you'd like to know that there's more to you than being a Death Eater."

Draco let go of her. He was so confused he didn't know what to say next. There was a prophecy about him? How come he never knew about it? Why had he never read anything about it anywhere? So many questions filled his mind as he sat down in the veranda seat that he didn't notice Abigail slip inside the mansion and disappear to her room.

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Abigail finally left the mansion a couple of days later with her father. She had waited enough time for him to be fully recovered and able to apparate back to their home. She didn't mention the prophecy again and Draco never got a chance to ask her about it. Before leaving, she assured him that his father would turn back into flesh and bones in a couple of weeks. That left Draco enough time to return to the safety of Hogwarts before his father's wrath could fall upon him.

The last two weeks of the Christmas holidays went by quickly for Draco. He didn't hear from Abigail during that time but spent a lot of time with Blaise and his other fellow Slytherins. They all seemed eager to start school again and very excited when Blaise was around. Obviously they were up to something and Draco made sure he'd ask Blaise all the details as soon as they were back at Hogwarts. He had other things on his mind though, such as what to do with Hermione but also the Dark Mark, burning in his flesh.

There was to be a meeting that night; the last night before Draco returned to Hogwarts and the spell on his father had still not worn out.

"My Lord."

Draco bowed to his master and stepped aside waiting for his instructions. His father's absence had instantly been noticed but Draco had not been questioned about it yet.

"Draco, my boy. Step closer." A raspy voice called out.

Draco looked up, meeting two terrifying beady red eyes, those he had served for the past months. He stood up and stepped closer as Voldemort had ordered.

"I know about Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed quietly. His words seemed to be for Draco's ears only. "Your father is a fool and let himself be humiliated by this girl. You shall replace him, my boy. You shall take your father's place, Draco; I want you by my side, I have grand plans for you."

"If it pleases you, my Lord," Draco answered, turning to face the others. He half-listened as Voldemort announced his promotion to the others, lost in his thoughts. He was to become Voldemort's right hand, to know about all his moves and plans. The power this represented was incredible. Though Draco hated his father, he had always been jealous of him when he witnessed the power he had as second in command. He had as much control over a Death Eater's life or death as Voldemort and was the only person allowed to advise Voldemort on his next moves. Now, Draco was in charge, he was the one with the power.

The crowd below him broke into loud whispers and murmurs but none dared contradict Voldemort's choice.

"I want the Serpent girl to join us or die," Voldemort hissed at Draco as the celebrations began. "I shall give you more specific orders next time but till then let Zabini do as I told him without interfering. He came up to me with a very interesting plan and it shall certainly favour us in the approaching war."

Draco nodded to him and tried to spot Blaise among the dark hooded figures. His friend was certainly up to something and somehow Draco didn't feel reassured about it.

He turned to watch the events before him. His new position meant that the Death Eaters would therefore be celebrating that night and so according to tradition a couple of Muggle families were kidnapped, tortured and killed that night, all in Draco's honour.

That night Draco participated in these acts to celebrate his new status of Voldemort's closest and deadliest Death Eater.

That night Draco forgot all about Hermione.

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**Haha! That's all for now! Draco's obviously getting high on power, I can just picture him being the new Darth Vader or something… (just kidding!)**

**Next chapter: Return to Hogwarts! Hermione decides to venture on a relationship with Draco and Abigail has not returned yet, something's happened to her…. Trust the chapters following are gonna be big!**

**Review please!**


	26. Questions

**Hello, I've managed to update on time! Yay! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, thank you all for the reviews! I don't have time for personal thank you's but you know who you are!**

**Anyway I've been really busy catching up work and such and also I'll be taking my time now with the next chapters as they're really important!**

**I guess you're all wondering what's gonna happen next between Draco and Hermione. Well the answer is in this chapter, so read on!**

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Chapter 26

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Hermione stepped out of the Hogwarts and looked up at the castle before her eyes. She was eager to see everyone again and tell them all about skiing with her family. She hadn't seen Harry or Ron on the train and decided they had probably returned earlier to school. She hadn't heard from Draco either but she hadn't expected a letter from the Slytherin Prince. After all, he had left her without a note or anything and was probably playing another mind game with her.

As she walked into the castle, heading for the Great Hall for dinner, she suddenly felt herself being pulled to the side.

She turned to face her red-haired friend. "Ron, what are you doing?" she asked surprised.

He looked back at her with a worried expression, which scared Hermione. She hadn't seen him like this for a while; not since last year's massacre.

"Harry wants to see us now," he whispered hurriedly before leading her up to the Gryffindor common room. "Come on, we need to talk before everyone gets back from dinner."

Hermione followed without muttering a word, dreading something had happened during her absence from the wizarding world.

As she entered the common room, she found Harry in an armchair in deep thought. He had a determined look on his face, quite different from the usual scared one. It reassured her a little.

"Hello, Hermione," he said warmly, as he noticed her presence.

She sat down, next to Ron on the couch and noticed Ginny was absent.

"Where's Gin?" Hermione asked, panic in her voice.

"She's fine. She already knows," Harry answered before exchanging nervous looks with Ron.

Suddenly, Hermione's heart started beating furiously. _Oh my God, what if they know? What if they've found out everything?_ _What if they've found out about Draco?_

"Hermione, a lot has happened since you left," Harry began, "First of all, Lucius Malfoy has disappeared for nearly a month now."

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "What happened to him?" she asked confused.

"We don't know," Ron explained. "He simply vanished from one day to the next and apparently, even the Death Eaters don't know why."

"What else?" Hermione dared to ask.

"As Lucius is missing, a new and more powerful Death Eater has apparently taken his place. Snape still hasn't returned to inform us who it is," Harry continued. He seemed worried about the news but there was also something else that bothered him and Hermione wanted to know.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked softly. "We've already dealt with new and more powerful Death Eaters and Lucius' disappearance seems more like a blessing than something to worry about. Something else is on your mind."

Ron grunted and folded his arms in disapproval as she spoke, apparently already knowing the answer to her question. Harry signed deeply but before he could speak, Ginny appeared at through the common room door.

"She hasn't returned!" she told Harry who nodded in return.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked once more.

"We're worried about Abigail," Ginny explained to her. "Harry received a letter from her at the very beginning of the holidays but since then, we haven't heard from her. I just heard that she hasn't returned to Hogwarts yet and neither has Snape! Nobody seems to know where they are, not even Dumbledore." She seemed very much affected by Abigail's disappearance.

Worry crept on Hermione's face as Ron started asking Ginny for more details which she didn't have. Hermione listened carefully whilst watching Harry. His sparkling green eyes bored deep into her own. Abigail was the 'something ' or someone on his mind and although he wasn't showing it, Harry Potter was scared for her.

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After much discussion, Hermione went back to her own common room. She anticipated seeing Draco again and as she stepped inside, she found him, sitting by the fire, lost in his thoughts. Seeing him like that, brought back painful memories of the ball night.

_"For God's sake, what the fuck do you want?"_

_"You."_

Tears suddenly formed in her eyes as she realised the pain Draco had caused her the next morning. She had tried to forget about it, telling herself it was nothing and that he had probably done it to many other girls but it was all too much and she broke out in silent tears.

She walked past him and went straight up to her room. She didn't want him to see her like this, she would never give him that satisfaction. She put a silencing charm on her room and continued to cry the tears she had held back all these weeks. A few minutes later, she heard a soft knock at her door.

"Who is it?" she asked wiping her eyes quickly.

"It's me."

Hermione quickly checked her appearance, magically hiding her red puffy eyes and opened the door.

"What do you want?" she asked sharply.

"Can I come in?" Draco asked, ignoring her tone of voice.

"No," Hermione told him, shutting the door on him, but Draco pushed it back open and walked in anyway.

"Draco, I don't want to see you right now," she continued, already knowing that he had come to apologise - as ever.

"We need to talk," he insisted.

"Like I haven't heard that one before," Hermione spat out and just as she was about to ask him to leave again, he interrupted her.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Hermione looked back at him. "For God's sake, you keep saying that, but I doubt you even know what that word means! Now GET OUT!"

She opened the door but he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look into his steel grey eyes.

"Hermione, please, listen to me! I need you," he admitted. "I need you more than you know. After the ball night, I was lost and I didn't know what to do. For Merlin's sake, you're a Gryffindor and part of the Golden trio! I tried to forget about you, forget everything but I couldn't and finally I realised that I missed you and I need you."

Hermione stood in disbelief as she listened to him talk. He needed her!_ Draco Malfoy has just admitted that he missed me and needs me!_

She stayed silent for a few seconds, taking in everything he had just told her. Somewhere, deep inside of her, she had always hoped for him to tell her this. After all, she was like every other girl, daring to dream about moments like these, knowing they would never be true. But now that it was reality, could she just forgive and forget?

His dark eyes looked down at her, full of remorse. "I'm sorry. Please, can you forgive again, one last time?"

"Then it's the last time, Draco," Hermione finally gave in. "You mess up again and your life will become a living hell, you understand?"

He nodded and before she realised what she was doing, she kissed him. He responded with the same lust for a few seconds but then stopped her.

"Wait," he breathed out hesitantly. "There's something else I have to tell you."

But Hermione didn't want to know, she was tired of thinking, tired of the stupid war and couldn't care less if Draco was just pretending. All she wanted was Draco, his arms around her and his warm lips against hers; everything else was unimportant.

"Not now, Draco," she surprised him, wrapping her arms back over his shoulders.

He wrapped her in his arms and brushed her lips with his. "You have no idea how much I missed this." He cupped her face and kissed her deeply.

His touch sent sparks through Hermione's body and his kiss was blissful. Hermione, herself, hadn't realised how much she had missed him and felt she was losing control when Draco stopped again.

"Hermione," he said seriously. "What about tomorrow?"

_Stop with the questions!_ her body screamed. Maybe she should have stopped and listened to what Draco had to say – or maybe she could wait until morning.

Looking up into his silver eyes, she grinned devilishly, and said. "What about tonight?"

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning to the sound of rustling. Draco was already out of bed, in boxers, looking out of her window. He seemed in deep thought again and Hermione knew something was up.

"What do you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?" he asked her suddenly, his back still turned to her.

His random question caused Hermione to shift uncomfortably. "I'm not sure – I guess it'll depend on the war, if it ever happens. I wouldn't mind going into Ministry training, maybe train to be a Defender or a judge."

"So you can put criminals like me in jail?" Draco suggested, smirking at her.

"I doubt I could ever do that," Hermione retorted.

"Sure you would," he stated logically.

Stepping up to the bed, he bent down to kiss her, loose strands falling into his eyes but Hermione stopped him. She had been too tired and lonely last night to care about what he wanted to say to her but now she regretted it. She couldn't help thinking about what Draco had wanted to tell her. Whatever the revelation would be, it was surely going to be bad and how would she deal with it?

"Tell me," she demanded, preparing herself for the worst.

He sat beside her on the bed and looked into her determined chocolate eyes. She felt like his was trying to reach into her soul and quickly looked away.

"I'm not sure I can tell you what you want to know," he said truthfully.

"Where's your father?" she responded on the beat.

Draco smirked at her question. "So you heard about his disappearance. Unfortunately, he wasn't gone for long. Abigail turned him into stone over the Christmas holidays, that's why he's been missing. But now he's back."

Hermione burst out laughing at his words. "Abigail changed him to stone?" she cried out. "I can't believe it!"

Draco looked back at her amused. "Well it's true. The look on his face was priceless and it was very humiliating for him as well. But now he's out for revenge and he'd do anything to get her back."

Hermione stopped laughing abruptly. "Oh God! Is that why she's missing? Did he do anything to her?"

Draco frowned at her question. "Abigail's missing?"

"She hasn't returned to Hogwarts yet, neither has Snape."

Draco kept silent, lost in his thoughts again. Hermione waited for an answer but didn't get any. He slowly got up and slipped his shirt back on. He headed for the door but she stopped him.

"Who replaced Lucius?" Hermione dared to ask. She knew he had the answer, but did he trust her enough to tell her?

He remained silent as he closed the door behind him.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Hermione spent her first days back at Hogwarts lost in the amount of homework the teachers were giving out. The NEWTs were approaching and realisation seemed to finally hit the seven years about how much work they had to do for them. She hadn't seen much of Draco during the first few days due to the amount of work she had. She groaned once more along with the rest of her class as McGonagall gave them yet another list of essays and spells to practice.

Walking out of class with Harry and Ron, she thought about Draco and suddenly remembered what he had told her. She summoned her two best friends to follow her to the entrance hall, which was unusually quiet, to tell them.

"I know why Lucius was missing," she said eagerly to them.

Harry's eyes lit up as she told them about Abigail putting a spell on him.

"But he's back now, though he won't be so chummy with Voldemort anymore. He got depromoted after all and for a Malfoy, that must be really humiliating," she continued.

"Hermione, how do you know all this?" Ron asked intrigued.

Hermione stopped for a moment; she hated lying to her friends. "I overheard Malfoy talking about it last night," she answered, trying to sound casual.

"This is great news!" Harry exclaimed. "If only we knew why Abigail hasn't returned yet."

Hermione tried to reassure him but after all, she was extremely worried herself and tried not to think of the worst. The trio stayed silent for a moment, until Ron tried to discreetly nudge Harry with his elbow.

"Oh yeah – I, um, I need to go practice Quidditch," he suddenly blurted out.

"Harry, it's pouring outside!" Hermione reminded him, as they watched students running in through the doors, soaking wet.

"I meant library," he quickly replied, heading down the corridor.

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. She realised what he was trying to do. She hadn't seen anything so unsubtle in her life. Yet now she was facing a very nervous Ron, who she hoped wasn't about to finally express his feelings for her after all these years.

"Hermione," he began, his ears turning red, "I need to ask you something."

It unnerved Hermione how embarrassed he still was about these things. Not that she was too popular around guys, but they were seventeen after all!

"Yes?" she said with encouragement. She had no idea what to say if he asked her out but she knew that she would have to let him down easy.

"Hermione, I really like you and –" But suddenly he stopped short and his eyes opened wide in shock, as he looked at the girl who had just walked through the main entrance. "Merlin, who the hell is that?" he tactlessly exclaimed.

Hermione turned around to face the girl Ron was talking about and then understood why he'd seemed surprised.

The poor girl seemed to be soaked to the bones with the rain pouring outside. She was wearing a large black cloak and pulling her trunk behind her. Her face struck Hermione more than anything. It was sickly pale, black mascara had trickled down the cheeks and her raven black hair stuck to her face with the rain. The girl simply looked like lifeless, her eyes were hollow and it spooked Hermione.

Suddenly Snape also walked into the entrance hall and took the girl's trunk for her. Hermione was surprised to see him helping this girl when he had been missing for several days and should be reporting immediately to Dumbledore. Ron, however, nudged her and pointed to the students around her. Hermione hadn't noticed the hall had become silent all of a sudden; all eyes were on this girl who had just come in. They seemed to recognise her but her appearance still shocked them.

"Oh my God!" Hermione gasped suddenly. "It's Abigail!"

She turned to Ron who looked just as surprised. "But, she looks so – different!" he managed to exclaim.

Hermione continued to watch as Snape called a few Slytherin girls and asked them to accompany Abigail to her dorm. They nodded in silence and the whole hall watched as they led a deathly pale Abigail up the stairs.

As soon as they were out of sight, the hall snapped back into action and everyone started talking quickly about what had just happened, some even left the hall, eager to tell the rest of the school.

Hermione, however, stood stock still. What the hell had just happened? Had she just seen a living dead version of Abigail or had she been dreaming? She turned to face Ron but his expression mirrored her own.

"We have to tell Harry," he finally said. "Come on."

He started dragging Hermione away from the hall but she pulled away.

"No, I have to know!" she answered back and made her way through the pack of students, catching up with Snape.

"Sir, please," she called out. "I have to know what happened."

But he simply narrowed his dark eyes at her. "Miss Granger, even though you may be Head Girl, it still does not give you the right to know," he answered sternly.

"But sir, you must know that Abigail is -"

"Is related to you?" he butt in,"yes, I know." He paused for a moment, looking around in case anyone was eavesdropping. "This is for your ears and your ears only Miss Granger! If tomorrow the whole school knows the truth, I shall give you detention until you graduate, do I make myself clear?"

Hermione nodded, anxious to know what was wrong.

"As you may have noticed, Miss Serpent has been absent for the past few days. During these past days she has busy taking care of personal matters - such as organising a funeral," he slowly explained to her.

"A funeral?" Hermione echoed in whispered tones. "But who?" She dared to ask, but the answer instantly came to her mind as Snape answered.

"Her mothers."

******************..~**~..**

* * *

**Uh oh – Abigail's mother has passed away. Don't worry, the next chapter will explain what exactly has happened to Abigail in the last few weeks.**

**Also, some of you might be confused about Hermione getting back with Draco so quickly. Well, it happens all the time. Girls, especially naïve ones such as Hermione, are usually more forgiving when it comes to the guys they love. They did have sex again, (for those who didn't get that) and for those who were disappointed that I didn't write it up, next time I will. Also are you wondering why neither of them have said the traditional "I love you."? Well I guess they're still not ready to admit it yet. They will eventually and it will be a decisive moment as well.**

**But anyway, now too the most important things! This chapter is what I would call, the beginning of the end! Indeed, the following chapters will be longer, bigger in terms of revelations, action, suspense, love, etc and will eventually lead to the final battle! So if I don't update every week forgive me but it's for the best. Don't worry though, I figured out that there will be at least another ten chapters before the end! Yay!**

**Next chapter: Abigail goes beserk and recalls everything that happened to her since she left Malfoy Manor! Also Blaise, the dangerous git, is up to something!**

**Review! Thanx**


	27. Broken

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belongs to J.K. Rowling, anything else belongs to me.**

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody! I managed to update on time! I got so many reviews that I thought it would be unfair to keep you guys waiting.**

**First of all, a few thank you's to everybody who reviewed:sweetblood17, LadySerpent, rachelle, Eriador (glad you think the characters aren't too OOC), MeLuvUrStory, SlytherinHeiress, GoddessDragonofRa (special thanxfor both reviews!), Chrissy, Lynster89, MissDitzy (wow, I'm impressesd, I can't believe you read the whole fic in one go, glad you like it!), dracocrazyem (oops, got it wrong. I was sure they called Voldemort a Mudblood in the fifth book but maybe I'm wrong. Oh well, he's a Mudblood in this fic, thanx for pointing it out!), cuznhottie, roguis muse (you'll find out now what Blaise does to Abby.)**

**Ok so this chapter is from Abby's point of view. For those of you wondering, her mother died because she got it worse than the Longbottoms. This isn't a happy chapter and a lot happens in it but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same.**

**Oh and I didn't steal anything, these ideas are mine :)**

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* * *

Chapter 27

* * *

Abigail was seated on her bed by one of her roommates and then left alone in the dormitory. She looked around the green and silver decorated room and suddenly felt nauseous. She stood up and quickly stumbled across to the bathroom. She thought that some water might help but instead she came face to face with herself.

She stared back at the hideous reflection in the mirror and laughed nervously. She looked until it became unbearable and she screamed. She continued to scream till her throat hurt but it wasn't enough. Picking up a glass of water, she threw it at the mirror and smashed it into hundreds of sherds.

Panting, Abigail examined the glass strewn around her and remembered. Though she didn't want to, she couldn't help it; she was still haunted by the memories.

******************..~**~..**

"I can't believe you lied to them!" she snapped at her father as soon as they apparated back to their house.

They were back from her aunt's for Christmas and Abigail was upset that her father had lied about his disappearance. In fact she was angry with him for going to Malfoy Manor in the first place and not being there when her mother was transferred to St. Mungo's.

She had a lot on her mind and it was about to come out.

"You didn't tell them the truth because you were ashamed," she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You were too ashamed to say that you had fallen into the most obvious trap in the world!"

"Abigail! I don't want to hear it," her father warned her, ruffling through some papers. "Now I'm going to back to England to see your mother. Please behave while I'm gone."

"You don't want to hear it?" she repeated in disbelief. "Well I don't care because you need to hear it! You need to hear how going to Malfoy Manor was the stupidest thing you've ever done!"

"Going to Malfoy Manor was my decision!" he retorted loudly. She felt her father's anger mounting within him but it didn't stop her.

"But why?" she shouted in exasperation. "Why on earth did you go to Malfoy Manor? You knew how it would end up; how it's always ends up! They're always after our powers, you know that!"

"Why?" he repeated loudly. "Because it's time we chose sides Abigail, that's why. I simply went to hear what they had to offer."

He tried to defend himself, but it caused Abigail to go out of her mind.

"What? You're actually interested in what they have to say! What those murderous bastards have to offer us!" she commented in disbelief.

"Abigail Serpent!" her father tried to reason her unsuccessfully.

"No, it's time you listened to me," she stated, deadly serious. "You tried to 'fraternise' with the people responsible for Mother's illness! Do you understand? Death Eaters are responsible for her illness! Now answer me this; why were they pursuing her?"

"She was on a mission for the Ministry," he answered uneasily. "She wanted to tell you about it but I knew that you'd be against it so I decided not to tell you."

"WHAT?" Abigail burst out. "You decided against telling me?"

Her father looked sternly upon her, fed up of her filthy language, uproar and disrespect but Abigail's anger was beyond anything he had ever seen.

"She thought what she was doing was for the best and I couldn't stop her, Abigail. I told her that fighting against Voldemort's Death Eaters was suicide and it was best to make a pact with them, but she wouldn't listen."

Abigail paled at her father's words. "You want to make a pact with Death Eaters?" she said quietly, as if the words wouldn't sink in.

"Wait a minute! Does that mean that you really wanted me to become friends with Draco Malfoy?" she continued, venom in her voice.

Her father frowned deeply at her. "It's for the good of the family, Abby! The Serpent name is dying out because we are passive in this war and it's time we took action."

"But you're not choosing the right side!" she fumed.

"It's the most powerful one!" he retorted but Abigail wouldn't listen to him.

"But Mother is dying because of them," she desperately tried to explain to him. "Don't you understand? She's dying and there's nothing we can do about it! I searched in all the books, looked up every possible spell, I even threatened Voldemort, but even he didn't know either!"

She stopped fighting back the tears forming in her eyes. "How could you be so blind?" she shouted in frustration.

Suddenly, Abigail heard a noise from the kitchen. As she approached the door, she realised that it was the phone ringing. Slamming the door behind her in anger, she picked it up.

"Hello," she tried to say as calmly as possible whilst breathing heavily from the shouting.

"Hello, is this the Serpent house?" a woman asked at the other end.

"Yes," Abigail answered hesitatingly.

_Who the hell, in England, has our phone number?_ she thought quickly but suddenly remembered where she had given it.

"Hello. I'm calling from St Mungo's hospital, London - I'm afraid I have some terrible news for you."

******************..~**~..**

Falling to the ground, Abigail felt the hot tears reaching her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand but more kept coming. She cut her hand on the glass and blood slowly made it's way down her arm.

She grabbed the nearest towel to clean her hand but the blood streaming out started to fascinate her. It reminded her of the ceremony, the tactless magical ceremony, which had followed her mother's funeral. Her entire family had gathered in the Serpent mansion to proclaim her to new Serpent leader. Knowledge, blessings and power had been passed down to her.

Since that day, Abigail was officially the most powerful woman of the Serpent family but inside her spirit was breaking.

"Abigail, are you okay?" her roommate's voice called out behind the bathroom door. "I heard you scream, are you all right?"

Hiding her bleeding hand, Abigail opened the door and stepped out; a fake smile lingering on her lips.

"I'm great!" she lied as brightly as she could. "I was just about to take a shower."

******************..~**~..**

* * *

A week pqssed since her return. She had stayed as far as possible from everyone, including the Golden Trio. The suffocating gossip about her disappearance caused her to spend more and more time alone in the library or outside by the lake. Eventually, the first Hogsmeade weekend since the winter holidays arrived but Abigail purposely stayed at Hogwarts.

As soon as her roommates left, Abigail quickly got dressed, grabbed some breakfast and then headed out to the lake. She spent as much time as could down there, by herself, watching the ripple's on the lake's surface and secretly reminiscing her mother. At night, she would have nightmares about Voldemort killing her mother and about not being able to save her. Deep down, she blamed herself for her mother's death.

_It's my fault! I should have been there, I should have stopped her, I should have done more._

But it was too late. There was nothing more Abigail could do and she hated feeling so useless. She had thought of planning revenge on the Death Eaters and Voldemort but then she would either lose her powers or be indebted yet again to the Dark Lord. She was stuck because she was a Serpent, because she was part of the most fucking powerful wizard family who passively watched as others got killed. If only there was another way –

"Hey," a cautious voice spoke up behind her.

Abigail continued to stare out as the intruder sat down beside her.

"Do you remember last time we were here?" she asked still staring out. "We were sitting right here and you told me it was okay to cry."

The intruder remained silent.

"But then I said it wasn't and that my mother wasn't dead, she was just – not well."

"I remember."

Abigail slowly turned to face Harry. She had lost her calm composure as tears flooded her dark eyes. "Now that she's gone, I can't seem to stop crying."

He quickly put his arms around her and held her tight as she cried loudly on his shoulder. She felt the tears dampen his robes while he squeezed her tightly in his arms.

"I couldn't save her," she whispered, holding on to him. "I couldn't save her, Harry. She was my mother and I couldn't do anything for her!"

"That's not true, Abby," he tried to comfort her, stroking her hair. "You did everything you could, you even confronted Voldemort."

"But it wasn't enough!" she said shaking her head, as she tried to blink the tears away. "Harry, it wasn't enough and now she's gone. She's dead. How can I ever live on without her? She taught me everything, she always knew what to do - I can't continue like this, I can't do this without her, I want her back. Damn it, I want her back!"

Abigail crumbled into his arms and Harry tried his best to soothe her as she continued to cry her pain out.

"It's okay, Abby. You'll see, everything will be all right in the end. I'm here for you, I'll take care of you, it's okay," he continually repeated as he held her in his arms.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail woke up in the warmth of her bed. Harry had taken her back to her dorm and she had fallen asleep for the rest of the day.

She woke up to the sound of tapping on her window and noticed an owl was waiting impatiently outside. She let the bird come in as she wondered who could be writing to her. Surely it was her father. She unrolled the small parchment and read it out loud.

_Dear Abby,_

_Meet me at 8pm in the library. I have some important news that might interest you._

_Hermione._

Abigail frowned deeply at the short note. She hadn't spoken to Hermione since she had returned although she had caught the Gryffindor looking her way more than once. Looking at her watch, Abigail decided to take a shower before heading down to the library.

If the news was so important, then she would be there to hear about it.

She entered the library at eight o'clock sharp and slowly made her way to the back, looking for Hermione. The place was empty and Abigail wondered where everyone had gone. She finally saw the Gryffindor, sitting down at a table, drumming her fingers on it. As she noticed Abigail, she stood up, smiling warmly.

"Hi."

"Hey," Abby greeted her.

"How are you doing?" she asked uneasily but quickly realised her mistake. "I'm sorry, that's a silly thing to ask. I really shouldn't have asked you –"

"It's all right," Abby cut in. "I feel – fine."

"Good," Hermione smiled back, still wringing her hands. "So, what did you have to tell me that was so urgent?"

Abigail turned to face her confused. "Nothing. I thought you were the one who wanted to see me," she explained, taking out the letter from her pocket.

Hermione glanced at it quickly and looked back up at Abigail, worry in her eyes. "I got the exact same letter from you, asking me to come here tonight."

"That's pretty weird," Abigail remarked, reading the note once more. She noticed Hermione's face turn pale.

"Something's wrong," Hermione whispered, fear in her voice. "Abigail, I'm serious, I think we should leave right now! This could be a trap."

"What kind of idiot would set a trap up in Hogwarts?" she answered back amused, but as she turned to leave, she suddenly felt a presence behind her. An overwhelming pain struck the back of her head and she fell to the floor, unconscious, as a terrified Hermione screamed.

******************..~**~..**

* * *

"Open your eyes, Abby! Come on, open your eyes!" a voice drawled beside her as Abigail slowly woke up.

She was lying down on her back, probably on a bed. Her head throbbed painfully, but as she reached for it, she realised her hands were fastened on either side of her. She tugged at the ties but heard the voice above her give a dry laugh.

"Where am I?" she thought out loud, as her eyes tried to focus into view. The room was extremely dim and she couldn't see the dark figures standing around her properly.

"The room of requirement," an all too familiar voice answered for her.

"Blaise, is that you?" she murmured in pain. Her eyes suddenly caught his figure lurking next to her, sitting backwards on a chair.

"Hey, baby," he smirked at her. "Miss me?"

Abigail scowled at his words and continued to look around. She noticed some of the Slytherin guys who had attacked Hermione weeks ago were in the room along with a few girls, such as Pansy Parkinson.

"Let me guess," Abigail commented finally, looking back at Blaise. "It's time for the annual Slytherin tea party?"

"Not exactly," he retorted, sneering slightly. "So, how's the pretty lady feeling lately? Not too... lonely I hope."

His words caused Abigail to tug at her ties in anger, but the ropes only fastened her wrists tighter, making her wince in pain. She tried to apparate but quickly realised that the strong magic around Hogwarts Castle prevented it.

"What the hell is going on here?" she fumed against him. "And why am I tied down to the bed?"

Bending over to face her, Blaise brushed his lips against her ear as Abigail turned her head away in disgust.

"It didn't seem to bother you before," he whispered softly.

"You sick fuck!" she shouted back to him, as he stood up chuckling to himself. "Let me go!"

"Tch, I make the rules here," he reminded her, as he walked around the bed. "You see Abby, I have something here that you can't risk to lose."

Nodding his head slightly to the side, a gagged Hermione was suddenly brought to view. Her hands were binded together behind her back and Crabbe and Goyle stood on either side of her, holding her arms.

It seemed Blaise had gained a lot more control over the Slytherins ever since his initiation.

"What do you want?" Abigail hissed at him, trying to gain time and desperately scanning the room with her eyes, searching for Draco.

Blaise walked over to Hermione and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. "You hear that Mudblood! Your cousin, after all these years of being a Slytherin, still doesn't know what we want from her," he muttered angrily with fake indignity.

"Leave her out of this," Abigail stated, deadly serious, looking straight into shiny blue eyes.

"Join me and the Dark Lord, Abby, and your little 'friend' here will be free to go," he explained, sitting back down in his chair. Abigail glanced nervously at Hermione, who shook her head back at her. Her eyes were pleading with her not to give into Blaise's blackmail.

_Damn it, Draco, where are you? _

"So, what will it be?" Blaise said impatiently.

"No thank you," Abigail answered flatly. "Now let me go!"

Blaise, however, looked unamused. "Surprise, surprise!" he muttered angrily. "The Slytherin finally reveals her true colours!" He turned his back to her, facing the other Slytherins and Abigail rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Slytherin doesn't mean Death Eater, Blaise!" she shouted at him.

But as he turned back to face her, Abigail gasped.

"Oh, I think it does," he corrected her, a silver dagger in his hand. "I told you that you'd pay one day for the humiliation you brought upon our Lord, Abigail."

_Oh shit!_

Desperate, she suddenly tried to reach out for Draco with her mind as Blaise stepped closer to her.

_Draco! Draco! Damn you Draco, I know you can hear me! The room of requirement, help me!_

"It's time for you to become a true Slytherin," Blaise continued, grasping her wrist tightly with his other hand.

Abigail screamed, desperately tugging at her binds. "Blaise, please let me go!" she pleaded to him. "Please, Blaise, please don't do thid!"

She looked around in terror as she noticed the other Slytherins step up to the bed and start chanting some sort of Latin spell. She called out for Hermione as the Gryffindor fought against her aggressors but it was too late. Abigail screamed in pain as Blaise cut the skin of her left forearm as the chanting around them became louder.

_Harry!_ Abigail tried to call out in a last effort.

As blood seethed out from the wound unto the sheets, a red glow started to surround her.

"Merlin help us," she whispered hoarsely as she realised what was about to happen. "Blaise, you idiot," she finished, before fainting from the pain.

The red glow became brighter, completely enveloping Abigail's unconscious body. Hermione's eyes grew wide with terror as she watched it become a blinding light and all of a sudden engulf itself inside Abigail's body. Immediately, the chanting stopped and Blaise let go of the limp arm. Hermione stood petrified, tears in her eyes as the word 'SLYTHERIN' gradually appeared, engraved on Abigail's forearm.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

**Yikes! Abby's in for it this time! I did warn you that she wouldn't get away from threatening Voldemort, anyway if anyone can guess what happens next, you're a star! I hope Harry and Abigail's conversation wasn't too cheesy, I didn't realise until I wrote this chapter how hard it is to write sad scenes. I listened a lot to Coldplay and Evanescence when I wrote this chapter. I luv them though not many people do…**

**Otherwise, I really need feedback from everybody to know if I'm doing a good job or not. Without feedback, I can't make this fanfic better. So please review!**

**Otherwise, next chapter is Draco. Do you think he'll save Abby? I have writer's block on this one, so it might take some time. **

**Review!**

**Hathor xxx**


	28. Possessed I

**Author's Notes: Chapter 28, I don't believe it! You know what else I don't believe… 198 reviews! Aaargh! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! You guys rock!**

**Special thanks to...**

**MissDitzy: You'll soon find out what Slytherin in the arm means!**

**ReginicSade87: Thank you so much for loving my OC, coz I know she's taking a lot of space in the story right now!**

**Dacheese: oops, sorry! I'm glad you pointed that out and I changed it.**

**LadySerpent: Yep Abby can do wandless magic but for the moment that only means apparating and talking in people's minds. For the rest she needs that wand!**

**Roguish muse: I'm glad you liked the sad scene, its hard to write and you'll soon find out about Abby…**

**Lynster89: Thanks for the tips and prepare some tissues coz it won't end well, unfortunately no one saves her!**

**May: I'm glad you understood that Abby isn't forced into becoming a Death-Eater, for the rest read on!**

**Spicysuga: A lot of you would prefer Harry or Draco to save Abby but I did warn you that she'll eventually pay for humiliating Voldemort. And you're right, its definitely too much angst and drama for her so let's hope she turnes out all right!**

**Dracocrazyem: You correctly guessed what happens next! Simply brilliant! The ficis set after OotP, obviously with spoilers. Otherwise, yeah Harry and co are in 7th year, Abby and Gin in 6th. Voldemort hasn't taken over but has definitely dented people's hopes as he attacked Hogwarts the previous year. Abby doesn't become a Death-Eater that's why she doesn't have the Dark Mark (that's just too cruel), read on to find out whats actually happened…**

**GoddessDragonofRa: I understand that there's too much Abby in the story but she'll be cut down very shortly, actually she doesn't have a last chapter and the story is really focused on Draco and Hermione as I've always said. Glad you enjoy how dark the fic is getting, trust me its gonna get worse!**

**Pippin1177: Lol, got rid of writer's block as new ideas have flooded my mind! Thanks for both reviews!**

**Senya Lady of the Serpents: I LOVE Draco/ Hermione fics too and got really good ones in my favourites! It sux that you were grounded but its cool coz now u don't have to wait so long for an update!**

**Kuroi Tsuki Jyurian: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I can't believe you reviewed all the chapters, that's amazing! This chapter is therefore dedicated to you, hope you enjoyed as much as the rest! And you're totally right about Draco. If Abby had mentioned Hermione's name, he would have turned up (that was the original idea), but turns out its different, as you'll see! I also love anime, if you know any really goods anime fics, please tell me coz I never have time to look them up and read. Thanks**

**I'm running out of time so thank you also to xohugsndkissesox, xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo, PiXeR, brit77, Sweetblood17, dark rose and chas3r for the wonderful reviews!**

**Ok, a few explanations are needed at this point I think. First of all, many of you thought that Abigail was forcefully initiated to be a Death-Eater, but in fact it's something else… don't you think Voldemort would have been there if it were the case? Also this chapter switches to Harry's point of view for a moment.**

**Also, about Abigail, most of you are probably annoyed about her as the story kinda revolves around her at this point. But don't worry because after the next two chapters, Abby isn't so important! This fiction has and will stay a dark romance between Draco and Hermione.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Kuroi Tsuki Jyurian for reading and reviewing this fanfiction! Once again, thank you!**

**Now onto the 28th chapter…**

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Chapter 28

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Draco sat in the library, studying. He tried to concentrate on his work, but his mind inevitably kept wondering off, thinking about past events. Yesterday he had found out from the Dark Lord himself that Selena Serpent had died and therefore Abigail had become the new Serpent leader. Her magical knowledge was very important to Voldemort and he intended to put his plan in action as soon as possible. It unnerved Draco that he had given the mission to Blaise and not even told him about it and that once more, he had been told not to interfere in the matter.

Draco hated being told what to do, but until Blaise's plan was unfolded, there was nothing he could possibly do to find out more. He briefly entertained the idea of warning Abigail that something was about to happen, but then again, why should he care? After all, she knew perfectly well how to take care of herself. However, it still nagged him to know that she was in danger and judging by the way she had looked since she had returned to Hogwarts, he wondered if she'd be able to take care of herself this time.

Packing up his books, Draco decided to return to his room and maybe spend some time with Hermione. They had seen each other only a couple of times in the past two weeks since they were both busy with Head duties and such. He knew perfectly well that he was playing a dangerous game being with her, but in this case, he didn't care. Now for the first time in his life, he was doing what he truly wanted; he wasn't following anybody else's orders. He had taken his life into his own hands, risking everything, but it was worth it. Hermione made him feel something he hadn't felt for a very long time; she made him feel alive.

Thinking about the Gryffindor girl, he walked out of the library, running up the stairs to his dorm. Without warning, he jerked forward, nearly tripping up on the stairs when a sudden pain burst through his head. He grabbed the stone wall with his hand, willing himself to stay upright, whilst reaching for his head at the same time, trying to force out the intolerable throbbing.

Someone was screaming inside his mind!

"_Draco!_" He recognised Abigail's voice at once. "_Draco?_"

She seemed scared and in danger and Draco figured that whatever plan Blaise had in mind for her, he had just put it into action. As quickly as the voice had appeared, it ceased. Breathing deeply, Draco picked up his bag and continued his way up. Upon reaching his dorm, however, Abigail's cries shrieked in his head again only this time they were more desperate and violent.

"_Draco!_" she screamed in his mind. "_I know you can hear me! The room of requirement, help me!_"

His hands automatically grabbed his head in agony as he listened to the terrified voice inside. However, he shook his head at her words.

_I can't help you this time. You're on your own now._

Although her desperate screams were chilling to the bone, Draco ignored them as best as he could and stepped into the common room, calling out for Hermione.

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Harry looked across to the empty seat in front of him, then turned to look at Ron, who was wolfing down the rest of his chips before reaching out for his pumpkin juice.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked worried. "Didn't she say she was coming down to dinner?"

"Dunno," Ron answered. "She said she was going to see that Serpent girl. She should be back now."

Harry scowled at his words. As long as Abigail was a Slytherin, Ron would never trust her. Eating up the last of his food, Harry tried not to worry about Hermione. As he meant to stand up, an incredible pain suddenly shot through his head instead, causing him to sit back down hard, listening in agony to the terrified voice screaming inside his head.

"_Harry!_"

Holding his head, Harry knocked over his pumpkin juice and opened his eyes slowly, wondering what the hell had just happened to him.

"Harry, mate, are you okay?" Ron asked quietly, worry in his eyes. "Is it... your scar?"

Harry looked up at him, shaking his head. Most of the Gryffindors had stopped eating now and were staring at Harry with fear. Seeing him in pain holding his head was never a good sign.

"I'm fine," he said quickly, suddenly looking around him wondering where the voice had come from.

"I think - I think I heard someone scream my name inside my head," he continued in a whisper.

Ron looked back at him with wide eyes. "What? What do you mean?"

Harry didn't answer him as his mind kicked back into gear and he suddenly recognised the voice inside his head.

"Abigail," he exclaimed, jumping up to his feet. "It's Abigail and she's in danger!"

Leaving the dinner table, he ran out of the hall to the Gryffindor common room in search of the Marauder's Map.

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"Hermione?"

Draco knocked at her door but got no answer. He stepped in anyway and was surprised to find an empty room. Hadn't they both agreed to meet tonight as none of them had Head duties to do? Looking around her room, he suddenly caught sight of a letter on her bed. Recognising Pansy's handwriting, he took a closer look and saw that Abigail had supposedly sent it.

"What the hell?" he thought out loud but suddenly realised what this meant. Wherever Abigail was, Hermione was surely with her.

"Shit!"

Running out of Hermione's room, Draco knew exactly where to find them both - the Room of Requirement.

As he reached the magical room and slipped inside, he was surprised that it was so dimly lit and that so many Slytherins were gathered inside. He instantly spotted Hermione between Crabbe and Goyle and couldn't help but watch her surprised expression as several Slytherins bowed down on one knee as they saw him.

Didn't they know better than to bow down to him at Hogwarts? And how come no one had told him about Zabini's plan when so many of them had been involved in it?

"Where's Zabini?" Draco ordered with his usual cold demeanour.

Instantly, Blaise got up and stepped by his side.

"We're waiting for the spell to work on Abigail," he explained quietly as the others muttered among themselves, impatiently looking at the far corner. Draco was surprised to see a bed with Abigail lying unconscious on it.

"I know that, but why is she here?" Draco inquired, pointing to Hermione.

Blaise smirked at his words in contempt. "We thought that her presence might help Abigail change her mind about joining us."

"How so?" Draco asked, venom in his voice. Blaise had obviously been keeping things from him.

"They're related Malfoy," Blaise remarked loudly. "The filthy Mudblood is somehow linked to the Serpent family, which explains why Abigail has been protecting her all this time."

Draco felt himself go numb as the revelation hit him. _Related? It was that simple! They were related! How did I not think of it before?_

"Let her go," he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion. "She has no more use here and I will personally see to it that she does not warn her Gryffindor friends."

Blaise nodded his head in agreement but before he could move, a gasp was heard from the bed. Stepping closer, Draco watched closely as Abigail's limp body turned rigid. As soon as her bonds were undone, she sat up straight on the bed, her long jet-black hair falling into her face. Many Slytherins stepped away in fright not knowing what to expect but Draco stood still, staring intently as Abigail lifted her head, her hair parting away from her face and her eyes opening slowly.

They were entirely black.

Several Slytherins, Hermione included, gasped loudly at the sight.

_So she's possessed_, Draco thought to himself, remembering his DADA classes. Complete black eyes could only mean that a dark spirit had possessed her body. _Voldemort's plan is quite cunning after all. Now he can probably make her tell him everything she knows about magic._

However, understanding the seriousness of the situation, Draco snapped out of his thoughts.

"Everybody out!" he bellowed, grabbing Blaise to make sure he would untie Granger and let her go. The Slytherins all left at lightning speed and as soon as the door closed behind him, Draco turned to face Abigail. Her eyes had unexpectedly changed back to normal and she contemplated him for some time before finally standing up.

"Who are you?" Draco inquired, watching her every move.

Lifting up her left arm, Abigail looked at the engraved 'SLYTHERIN' in the skin and smirked.

"Salazar Slytherin," he replied, keeping his cool demeanour. She picked up her cloak, dumped in a pile at the foot of the bed and put her arms through the sleeves, leaving the garment seductively fall off her shoulders. Slowly, she stepped closer to Draco and he instantly noticed something different about her, in the way she walked, in her stance. Knowing very well that her wand was probably inside her cloak, he watched tensely, ready for anything as she started to circle him.

Her movements were slow but powerful and commanded respect.

"He is indeed inside of me. His magic, his mind and his power overwhelm me and yet, I am still the girl you knew - a Serpent."

Her voice was empowering but also soft and comforting at the same time. She stepped closer, walking up from behind him and Draco could feel the warmth of her body as she leaned into his back. Her hands snaked up along his arms, stopping as they reached his broad shoulders and she whispered in his ear, enchanting him with her voice. "I am surprised to see you here, Dragon. If you had wanted to save me, you would have been here in time."

Draco tried to stiffen against her touch but her simple presence overwhelmed him with all kind of emotions. He wanted to ask her why she had called him 'Dragon', but instead all he could think about was the way she felt against him and how he wanted to hear the sound of her voice again.

"I was told not to save you," he admitted against his will. "I merely came to see what had happened."

He breathed hard, fighting against the urge to tell her about his intention to save Hermione. As Abigail stepped around to face him, he stared at the flames suddenly dancing in her eyes. He couldn't seem to look away, as a flood of emotions rushed over him and he felt irresistibly attracted to her. She put both her hands on his chest; her nails digging slightly into his skin as she stared deeply into his silver eyes. Draco couldn't help but close his eyes as uncontrollable pleasure shot through through his body from her touch.

"I can show you things that you never thought were even possible," she murmured in his ear, intoxicating him with greed for power. "I can teach you more than anybody else. I can make your wildest dreams become true."

She pulled away slowly, looking back into his blazing silver eyes. "Tell me, do you like this new girl, my Dragon?"

Before he could answer, he felt her hand dangerously slither down to his crotch whilst a malicious smile formed on her lips. "Trust me, I have evolved in more ways than one."

Draco couldn't think straight anymore. Her voice cleared away all the questions which had previously filled his mind. All he knew, was that he wanted her, here and now. As lust flashed through his eyes, he suddenly grasped the back of her head with his hand and he kissed her hard. She kissed him back, her mouth hot and hard, until the door abruptly bolted open and a very pissed off Harry Potter appeared, followed by Hermione.

"Get away from her!" Potter spat out, his eyes glaring dangerously at him.

Before Draco could retaliate, he felt Abigail push herself away from him and slowly step up towards Potter.

"You're a little late, don't you think?" she remarked slyly, her empowering voice suddenly losing all softness. Her demanding presence seemed to have the same effect on Potter, as he watched her intently, remaining silent.

"How brave of you to think you could confront my Slytherins all by yourself," she mocked him, holding his gaze.

"I wanted to save you."

"From what? Remembering who I truly am?"

"Abigail, what happened to you?" Potter asked quietly, trying to hide his emotions.

"I don't need you anymore," she answered flatly, causing Draco to smirk. "You may leave now little boy."

Noticing his confused face, Abigail laughed in his face. "Don't you understand, you fool? A Slytherin would never mess with a Gryffindor, I was merely playing with you," she explained cruelly, relishing the pain she was causing him.

"I don't believe you," he answered back, defying her. This only caused Abigail to smirk.

"I don't know how I could be any clearer. You were only a toy among my expert hands. I manipulated you because you are and always will be my enemy. And what a poor enemy, I should say!" she added maliciously, her voice becoming darker and harsher. "You were nothing but a miserable boy strangled into self-pity before I found you. Without me the audacity within you to confront me now would not exist and without me your confidence will quickly die out, because without me, you are NOTHING!"

"Stop it!" Granger let out from the doorway, watching Potter's body shaking with rage, his fists clenched. However, she quickly shut up as Abigail's cold eyes bore into her own. Turning to face Potter again, Abigail watched the effects her words had on him, amused.

"How humiliating," she exclaimed as she continued to mock him. "And to think you believed everything I told you, that I actually understood you and cared about you." Abigail laughed loudly at her own words. She had successfully manipulated Potter's feelings and made him look like a complete idiot. Draco watched the entire scene carefully, noticing Potter's anger mount within him as Abigail's harsh words struck him and a smile crept on the Slytherin's face.

"I have more important things to do now than waste my time on you," she suddenly told him. Stepping aside, she headed for the door where Granger stood.

"Abby, what's going on?" she pleaded, although she did not dare touch her.

Abigail froze at her words.

"Out of my way - Mudblood."

The shock on Hermione's face caught Draco's attention and she slowly stepped aside to let Abigail go.

A short silence followed after she had left.

Draco meant to leave as well but all of a sudden, an enraged Potter lunged towards him and caught off guard, Draco received a blow to his jaw, making him stumble backwards.

"You fucking piece of –" Potter shouted to him, punching him again.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, trying to stop him.

"Stay out of this!" he warned her, his anger filled eyes turning to her.

Recovering from the blow, Draco took advantage of Potter's second of distraction to knee him hard in the stomach and punch him back in the face. Then grabbing his throat, Draco pinned him up against the wall.

"Stop it!" Hermione screamed from behind him. She tried pulling his arm away from Harry, but Draco pushed her out of his way and whipped out his wand, brandishing it to his arch enemy's chest. He'd be damned if he let Saint Potter get away with what he'd done. Through the bloody face, two loathing green eyes stared back into Draco's cold steel ones. He was surprised to no longer see fear in the Gryffindor's eyes.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Potter demanded, blood trickling from his mouth.

Draco smirked back at him. "She finally opened her eyes to the real world," he drawled, tightening his grip around Potter's throat.

"Get your hands off me - Death Eater," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. Draco was nearly taken aback by his words and tightened his grasp on his wand. However, he felt a hand touch his arm. Turning his head to see who it was, he came face to face with Hermione who gently pulled his hand away.

"Let him go Draco," she pleaded, fear in her eyes.

The effect her plea had on him was unimaginable. The fear and sadness in Hermione's eyes froze Draco on the spot. He couldn't stand seeing her like that, especially knowing it was his fault. The Slytherin Prince instantly retracted his wand and slowly let go of Potter who fell to the ground. Hermione instantly bent down to her best friend's side, examining the wounds on his face.

At that precise moment, all anger, hate and revenge left Draco's mind and jealousy quickly crept in. He couldn't bear to watch Hermione fawn all over the speckled git and preferred to leave.

"Don't mess with me again, Potter," he said icily over his shoulder before leaving.

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"What the hell happened to you?" Blaise inquired, as soon as he saw Draco's face.

Draco had just entered the Slytherin common room and noticed Blaise sitting comfortably in a leather armchair, Abigail in his lap.

"I fell," Draco replied sarcastically, throwing himself down on the opposite couch. Although his eyes were closed, he could distinctly feel Abigail's presence and knew she had left Zabini's lap to approach him.

"Did Wonder Boy give you a hard time?" she asked softly, captivating his attention as she sat down beside him gracefully.

"Abigail told me about Potter," Blaise interrupted, anger in his voice. "Do you want me to take care of him?"

"No," Draco decided, shaking his head. "There's no time. He's probably gone to see Dumbledore now. Fortunately our Lord made sure the old fool is absent from Hogwarts tonight, trying to prevent new massacres. When did he ask you to bring Abigail?"

"Tomorrow night, everything is planned."

_This isn't good!_ Draco thought to himself. _With Abigail's powers, Voldemort will be unstoppable!_ This was definitely not part of his own plans but he couldn't think of any way to gain more time. Draco nodded and turned to see Abigail staring back at him intently. Her dark eyes bored into his own and he felt as though he was being hypnotised. Before he knew it, she was in his lap, whispering to him with her empowering soft voice again.

"I told you she was good," Blaise grinned, noticing the smile creeping up on Draco's face. "Don't get too close Malfoy, remember who she belongs to."

At his words, Abigail stopped talking and turned to face him. "Jealous, are you?"

Before Blaise could answer, she faced Draco again and added viciously. "Don't worry Dragon, he's just hoping somebody someday will do him like I did."

Stroking her finger slowly along his cheek, she got up and made her way up the guy's dorm, summoning Blaise after her with her hand.

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Draco walked into the Head's common room and sat down on the sofa, sighing loudly. He had left the Slytherin common room as quickly as he could. Abigail was seriously messing with his mind and he had decided to stay as far away as possible from her until tomorrow night. Blaise, on the other hand, seemed to thoroughly enjoy the change and had quickly fallen into her mind games.

As he lay back thinking, Hermione walked in and immediately tensed as she noticed him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked straight away, his eyes fixed on her.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably at his question. "I don't know what you're talking about," she answered trying to walk away but Draco stood up instantly, blocking her way.

"Bullocks!" he said, his eyes flashing angrily at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hermione responded in the same manner, her whole body shaking in anger.

"Me being related to Abigail does not concern you in any way," she snapped, pushing her way past him.

"It has everything to do with me!" he retorted coming after her. "You can't keep such information from me Hermione, I need to know!"

At his words, Hermione spinned around in fury, her eyes holding his angry gray stare. "What has it got to do with you? Why the hell do you even care?"

"So I can protect you!" he roared at her, causing her to step backwards. "Don't you realise that Voldemort will be coming straight for you when he knows?"

Hermione gave a dry laugh. "Like he wasn't already after me because I'm Harry's best friend!"

"Yes but before, harming you would have meant declaring war! A war he knew he couldn't win!" Draco retorted, angrier than ever. "Now, through you, he can get to Abigail! Do you even realise how dangerous he would become if he acquired her powers? He would flatten Dumbledore out and the rest of his enemies before they even saw it coming!"

"Well that doesn't make any difference now, does it?" Hermione said bitterly. "Now she'll just tell him everything she knows willingly thanks to your 'friends'! She's possessed, isn't she? She's possessed with some sort of twisted spirit which explains why she acted like such a bitch to Harry and why she was kissing you!"

Her words hit Draco like a smack across the face though he didn't show it.

"I didn't know about the curse. I didn't know what Blaise had planned," he tried to defend himself.

"Nor did you try to save her!" Hermione shouted at him, her anger taking over her thoughts. "You don't care about me getting hurt! You only care that through me, now Voldemort can acquire Abigail's powers instead of you! Admit it Draco, all you want from that girl are her powers, you never gave a fuck about her otherwise! And now you're angry because you realise you're screwed, because Voldemort will never share any of those powers with you! I mean, who the hell are you within the circle of Death Eaters, huh? You're probably so meaningless that you don't even know who replaced your Father! Is that why you didn't tell me Draco? And even if you knew, why the hell wouldn't you tell me? What's the big deal anyway about who's the next big, bad Death Eater? Why the fuck won't you tell me? I mean, it's not like I'll know the poor bastard! It's not like it's –"

But she suddenly stopped herself. Her fury had caused her to ramble on illogically, spilling out everything that was on her mind and eventually leading her to answer her own question. Her eyes quickly looked up to Draco searching for a confirmation, which was written all over his face. He looked back at her, not knowing what to say, as she struggled with her emotions.

"I mean – I mean, it's not like it's you, right?" she said softly, trying to smile as if it was all soome sort of a joke. "It can't be, right?"

Draco remained silent as the new piece of information finally seemed to sink into her.

"Oh God! Draco, tell me it's not true," she whispered, backing away from him.

"I didn't have a choice," he said in defeat.

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**Hehehe! Think Hermione is gonna believe that last line! I think not….**

**For those of you who are wondering what happened to this chapter as I promised it would be super long, well it's been cut in half and the next one will still be Draco's POV! This chapter is therefore 'Possessed I' (one, not aye!) and will be followed by 'Possessed II'! So sorry about the cliffhanger but it had to be done.**

**For those of you still wondering, Abigail is possessed with Salazar Slytherin's spirit (eww, what a weird idea, huh? Don't ask…) IDid you notice the similarity with the little girl from the Ring? Long black hair, falling into herface,etc... Just thought it was fun to add!**

**Anyway now Abby's a super bitch, hates Mudbloods, loves Dark Magic, etc and will probably side by Voldemort, right? Well that's for you to think about…Oh and do any of you recognise from which song belongs her last line? Its from one of my favourite bands and I had been saving that line for a while! **

**Otherwise, poor Harry's been ripped to shreds… When I edited the chapter, even I was surprised by Abigail's nasty comments but hey, he tries to kick Malfoy's ass for it! I loved writing that short fight scene, I read so many in other fics that I thought I'd add it in.**

**Next chapter will be up at the latest saturday, Hermione has still a lot on her mind and it will come out and Draco brings Abigail to Voldemort… the final war is dangerously approaching!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! They make me smile like there's no tomorrow! No kidding! I love reading your comments whether good or bad!**

**Hathor xxx**


	29. Possessed II

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belongs to J.K. Rowling. Anything you don't recognise belongs to me!**

**A/N: Yay! I'm updating as I promised! I've been staying in a lot lately as it's way too cold here to go out! Thank you so much for all your reviews! They're brilliant!**

**Special Thanks to:**

**Lynster89 (wow, I can't believe how much you're touched by this story, hope you enjoy this chapter!), Miss Ditzy (You're review made me laugh so much and as I will explain, no Slytherin isn't gay, its just Abby getting horny, lol!), Sweetblood17, ZippyRox (yay! You recongnised the Maroon 5 quote! Don't wprry Harry will definitely get suspicious!), brit77, xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo, Chewy518 (glad you also recognised Maroon 5, I was so scared no one would get it! Enjoy chapter 29!), DracoandHermione x (Wow, as I always say, I'm impressed you read this fic all in one go! I'm curious to know which chapter made you cry! If you want Draco to tell Hermione he loves her, you'll love this chapter!), Kuroi Tsuki Jyurian (Yes, you did make sense to me! Thank you for the list, I'll definitely check it out!), May (I'm so glad you like where the sotry's going. I've worked it out and there are 9 chapters left now, most of going to be incredibly dark! Enjoy!), LadySerpent (You review made me laugh, but you're right! Draco's life is bad but he's got Hermione!), dracosgirl2515, wuthie (Thanks for your review, it brought my hopes up and helped me update faster! Hope you like this chapter!), RainynDawn (Don't worry, Abigail will go back to normal very soon. Its fun to now you're addicted to my story, enjoy!), PiXeR, Spicysuga (Thanks for the review, you brought up an interesting point which will be explained next chapter. Hermione doesn't know Abby is possessed until she goes back into the room with Harry. Unfortunately Voldy hates Abby whehter she possessed or not.), GooseyCorsair, Zappy Monkey, Iraine**

**A lot of you seem confused as to what happened to Abigail. Basically, she's possessed with Slytherin's ideas but his spirit doesn't control her. She's still Abigail but well she's behaving like the ultimate Slytherin. Does that make sense? So when she's turning Draco on, its her Slytherin side making her attracted to him because Draco is powerful, he is the Dragon, something that will be explained later I promise. For Blaise, well he's powerful as well because he's a Death-eater after all. This also explains why Abigail now hates Gryffindors.**

**If you're still confused, tell me and I'll explain as best as possible. I've always answered reviewer's questions so don't hesitate (you might even catch me out, though I hope not!)**

**Oh and in this chapter, you'll understand why Dumbledore was such a prick to Abigail in chapters before. I nearly forgot that bit altogether!**

**Enjoy…**

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Last chapter:

_"I mean – I mean, it's not like it's you, right?" she said softly, trying to smile as if it was some sort of a joke. "It's not you, right?"_

_Draco remained silent as the new piece of information finally seemed to sink in her. _

_"Oh God! Draco, tell me it's not true," she whispered, backing away from him._

_"I didn't have a choice," he said in defeat._

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Chapter 29

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"Didn't have a choice?" Hermione repeated in disbelief. "What the hell have I been telling you all last year: you had that stupid choice! You could have chosen Dumbledore, you could have chosen not to grovel at Voldemort's feet, you could have chosen not to make me look like a fool!"

Her voice remained calm as a single tear ran down her cheek. "I feel like I've been used."

Seeing her pain, Draco instantly stepped towards her, trying to hold her.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed at him. "Don't touch me with your murderous hands! I should have known that I was used for entertainment, that you were only having fun with the filthy little Mudblood!"

"Don't say that," Draco exclaimed, stepping closer to her. "You know it's not true!"

But his words seemed to bounce off her.

"Get away from me, don't touch me!" she tried pushing him back, screaming, this time tears falling freely from her eyes.

"I know what you have to do for your initiation you rapist murderer! Don't you think I know that you torture and kill Muggles for fun? For God's sake, if I hadn't stopped you today, you would have killed my best friend! And now, you're telling me that you're the one who replaced your father! I hate you!"

Draco stiffened at her words but kept reaching out for her nonetheless.

"I hate you! Get away from me!" she continued to scream, her voice overwhelmed with emotion. She pushed Draco back as best as she could, but he inevitably put his arms around her as she continued to fight back, hitting him with her fists where she could, but he held on tight.

"Damn it, I want to hate you, but I can't! I can't!"

Crumbling into his arms, Draco waited for her to calm down.

"It's all too much! And Abigail - Draco, you weren't there, you didn't hear her screams!"

"It's okay, it's okay," he soothed her, holding her head to look into her eyes. "We'll figure something out. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. But you know my feelings for you have always been true. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Pulling her into a hug, he kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry about Abigail. We'll save her, I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

But Draco didn't know how to save Abigail. He had been thinking about it already, wanting to save her before she was brought to the Dark Lord. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew that saving Abby meant revealing his true self to Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Draco couldn't sleep that night. He was lying down on Hermione's bed as she slept peacefully in his arms. He had kept his arms around her until she had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying. Her words continually replayed in his mind, as he lay there awake.

_I know what you did for your initiation you rapist murderer! Don't you think I know that you torture and kill Muggles for fun?_

It was true. He had killed, but he had never enjoyed it. And now Hermione knew what he was capable of and yet she couldn't bring herself to hate him. Draco had never experienced such love in his life, he had never met anyone who trusted him so blindly; trusted the goodness within him.

Looking down at her, he kissed the top of her hair.

"I love you, Granger. You've opened up my heart," he murmured in her ear before falling asleep again.

The next morning, feeling the rays of the sun on his face, Draco woke up slowly, snuggling closer to Hermione, but she was gone.

Opening his eyes, he found a note on her pillow.

_I'm in the library, looking up a counter-curse for Abigail._

_Hermione._

Begrudgingly, Draco got up and headed for the shower. This is going to be a very long day, he thought, thinking about what was awaiting him that night.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"You want a fucking picture?" Draco snapped at a couple of Hufflepuffs. They quickly moved away, nodding their heads in fear.

Draco was having a very bad day. Along with Blaise, he was in charge of keeping an eye on Abigail, making sure she wasn't causing any trouble. Unfortunately, her strange behaviour had already caused her several detentions with most of the teachers and some fights with other students. The only teacher who hadn't said a word was Snape. He seemed to know perfectly well what was going on, which didn't surprise Draco. He wouldn't be astonished if every Death Eater knew of Voldemort's plans by now.

"Mudbloods!" she hissed after another Gryffindor student.

"Stop saying that!" Draco let out annoyed.

Blaise turned around to face him, raising an eyebrow but Draco pushed past him, making his way to the Great Hall for dinner. If Abigail opened her mouth one more time, Draco was seriously considering casting a Silencing spell on her. As he sat down at the Slytherin table, he noticed Hermione was already eating with her friends. She looked up into his eyes and smiled at him discreetly, nodding her head.

She had found something.

"Malfoy, can you believe it?" Blaise said to his left, as he filled up his plate. "That idiot Potter actually spilt his ink bottle on Abigail's robes. How thick can you get? I thought she was going to rip his bloody head off!"

"Fascinating," Draco sneered, playing with his food in anxiety.

_Merlin Hermione, you're the cleverest witch in Hogwarts! This better work! We've only got tonight._

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

As soon as Draco reached the hall, shivers ran down his spine. It happened at every Death Eater meeting but tonight he ignored them and stepped confidently among the hundreds of Death Eaters present, who in return bowed their heads to their young master.

They parted to let Draco through followed by Abigail and Blaise. The three of them made their way to the platform, where Voldemort sat on his black mahogany throne.

"My Lord," Draco greeted him, bowing on one knee. He then stepped aside, for Voldemort to see Abigail and took his righteous place next to the throne. His father was among the crowd tonight, probably fuming with jealousy.

"So here she is," Voldemort hissed, beside Draco. "The all too powerful Serpent girl who thought she could come here and kill one of my Death Eaters without suffering the consequences!"

He laughed at the irony of the situation as Abigail kneeled before him, followed by Blaise.

"Do you have her wand?" he asked Draco quietly waiting for the crowd to settle down.

"Yes."

As soon as Voldemort had everyone's attention, he looked back down to Abigail.

"Let me see it!" he screeched, his beady red eyes dancing in excitement. Standing up, Abigail rolled up her sleeve as she stepped forward, revealing the word 'SLYTHERIN' scarred in her skin. Voldemort stared at her arm, stretching out his white, bony fingers to it. To Draco's surprise, he did not touch the scar, almost as if he was scared of the power behind it. He was following Salazar Slytherin's path after all, trying to fill in his footsteps by restoring the Pureblooded families forgotten glory. And now, Slytherin was helping the Dark Lord in return. He was bringing to him the ultimate weapon that could win him the war; a Serpent.

Suddenly Draco noticed a change in his lord. His once exhilarated red eyes narrowed as he looked into Abigail's dark eyes.

"If it weren't for your powers, you would already be dead," he said dangerously to her. "I hoped that you would follow the path of your grand-mother and so I sent one of my Death Eaters disguised as that traitor Dumbledore so you could know the truth about her. That day, you should have understood where you truly belonged, but instead you are still a disgrace for us Purebloods!"

He paused gravely as he looked at her with disgust.

"Associating with Muggles since your young age, fraternising with Mudblood Gryffindors and refusing to collaborate with your other fellow Pureblooded Slytherins. Zabini told me everything about you, Miss Serpent. How low can you sink?"

His words caused a deathly silence among the hall. All eyes were on Abigail who stood before the Dark Lord in mortal peril. Her simple presence seemed to anger Voldemort and as he said, if it weren't for powers, Draco would surely have been given the task to kill her in the most painful, gruesome way.

Abigail, however, looked him straight into the eye and smirked.

_Don't do it!_ Draco thought to himself. But obviously she couldn't hear him.

"For us Purebloods?" she repeated speaking loud and clear. "Now now Tom, why bother lying? We all know your father was a Muggle!"

Several loud gasps were heard among the crowd followed by whisperings. As Draco watched Voldemort shake with fury in his throne, he realised that apparently not every Death Eater knew about Voldemort's parents.

"Why would you kill your own kind, Tom?" she asked mockingly before laughing at him.

"Silence her!" he shrieked from his throne and instantly, Blaise held her tightly as Draco summoned a Silencing charm on her. The remaining Death Eaters watched, unsure of what to believe but they were soon reassured by their master's words.

"How dare you insult me?" he hissed loudly. "Lestrange! Zabini! Take her to the table!"

Whispers of approval broke out among the crowd as Draco racked his brains to save Abigail.

"But my Lord," he began, stepping closer to the throne. "With her powers, we can crush Dumbledore and his army. We could win this war! I am sure with time, in the dungeons, she will reveal –"

"No, we have no time," he shrieked back. "But you are right! Her powers are essential to me and I must have them tonight. Draco, by all means, make her speak. We all know how persuasive you can be."

Draco kept a pitiless face as a storm raged inside of him. He didn't pride himself for what he had done; he had simply obeyed and served his master's will. Although his father had always taught him never to serve another, here they both were torturing and killing for a halfblood. Draco's only desire was the leave the bastard and find his own way, but it seemed too soon to break off from Voldemort. The war was well on its way, but it hadn't begun yet and if Draco left too soon, he risked everything. Besides, he had yet to find out about the prophecy concerning him, a prophecy Abigail only seemed to know about.

The choice was simple, to obey or rebel and that night, Draco obeyed. He stepped down to the sacrificial table, wand in hand, ready for anything. He watched as Abigail let herself be tied down to the table, her confidence intact.

"You disappoint me, Dragon. How is it that a powerful Pureblood such as yourself takes orders from a Halfblood?" she whispered softly in his head with her empowering voice. "You should be the one on that throne."

"Silence!" Draco cut in, circling the table. "You will reveal your magical knowledge to my Lord and teach him the darkest spells you know, or else –"

"Or else what?" she asked in his head defiantly, raising an eyebrow.

"_Crucio!_"

Draco cast the unforgivable curse, hoping that Abigail's mind would not suffer from it, being possessed, however, he did not expect what he saw. Abigail's eyes suddenly became black as she merely winced in pain a couple of seconds.

"Salazar Slytherin invented that curse, you idiot!" he heard her mock him, laughing maliciously. "And when he did, he made sure it couldn't be used against him!"

"Don't worry," Draco retorted. "I know a lot more painful curses."

Voldemort nodded his head in approval, as Draco lifted his wand, ready to curse another spell. However, a sudden piercing scream from Abigail interrupted him, as her black eyes faded and the familiar intense red light enveloped her body.

"What's happening?" Draco heard Voldemort question but all eyes continued to fix the girl as she lay unconscious whilst several red beams of light seemed to evaporate from her.

Red light finally shot out of her chest, disappearing into thin air. Immediately, she woke up in a start, gasping for air. Her head darted left and right as if she was lost. She screamed as she saw the hundreds of black-hooded figures surrounding her and tugged frantically at her binds.

"Abigail?" Draco dared to ask, stepping closer. Hermione's counter curse had obviously worked. She whipped her head around, looking at him in terror, her body shaking uncontrollably, but as Draco took another step closer, she disapparated before his very eyes.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"Potter's filthy Mudblood was in the room when you cast the spell?" Voldemort shrieked, standing up in anger.

"I am sorry, my Lord," Blaise answered, kneeling before him in pain. "I did not think she would find a counter curse."

Draco stood still beside his Lord as he watched the scene before him. After Abigail's abrupt disappearance, Voldemort was furious. Not only had he lost his chance of increasing his powers but Abigail had managed to by pass all the anti-apparation spells cast on the mansion. He instantly demanded explanations from Blaise. Giving none, the Cruciatus curse had then been performed on him until he admitted that Hermione had seen him cast the spell on Abigail.

"You should have thought of that before! Now answer me this: why would that filthy Mudblood save a Serpent?" he questioned Blaise, ready to curse him again if the answer did not satisfy him.

"Because they are related, my Lord," Blaise answered, his hands shaking in fear. "The Mudblood cares for her."

"Does she now?" Voldemort acknowledged, sitting back down in his throne. His eyes gleamed in excitement as he seemed to take into account this new piece of information.

Draco swore to himself as he realised what this meant.

"And does the Serpent girl care in return?" he inquired quickly.

"Yes, my Lord," Blaise said hesitatingly, probably remembering the many times Abigail saved Hermione from her fellow Slytherins.

"Interesting. Then I shall not dispose of you just yet, Zabini, I will have yet another mission for you. But fail me again and you will suffer the consequences!"

"Thank you, my Lord. You are generous, my Lord," Blaise said in relief, stepping back into the crowd of Death Eaters.

As Draco walked out through the large oak doors, after Voldemort dismissed the meeting, he knew that he had to find out what his master was planning for Hermione before Blaise and stop them. He meant to disapparate back to the Forbidden Forest, however, a hand clasped his shoulder before he could.

"Listen very carefully boy," his ruthless father whispered in his ear. "You cannot replace me so easily. Mark my words, I will not let this happen!"

"Careful, Father," he sneered in return. "I could have you killed for threatening me."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Just you watch me," Draco added before disapparating with a pop.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

**As you've probably realised, I don't like Lucius one bit though I love the actor who plays him in the movies. Can't remember his name right now.. Anyway Malfoy sr. is in his own little world, he was basically fired and there's nothing he can do about it! Lol!**

**Otherwise, for those of you confused, Abigail is practically normal again (she should really be suffering from a nervous breakdown or something after everything she's been through but Harry will be there to save the day!)**

**Draco finally said 'I love you!' even though Hermione didn't hear him. Yay! And he seems decided not to stay a Death-Eater.**

**Sorry if this chapter wasn't as long as the last, but next ones will be.**

**Next chapter: We find out how Golden Trio find counter-curse and perform it to save Abby and Harry and Ron learn one of Hermione's many secrets.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	30. Rescuers

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody and sorry for the wait! I've finally finished this chapter and I'm happy with it. It was a pile of crap to start with and it definitely got better. I had all these crazy ideas but I decided against most of them as they didn't help with the story. ****Oh and the chapter is called the Rescuers after the Disney, just thought it was a fun idea!**

**Anyways, in that long time, I posted a one-chapter story so if you guys could read that and review, it'd be great because it's also a dark and romantic fiction.**

**I had a lot of wonderful reviews and I need to thank everybody for them!**

**MissDitzy: Yeah sorry, I meant he doesn't like Voldemort not he'll stop being a Death-Eater! Abigail's powers have evolved and she can disapparate even from Death-Eater meeting! I'm glad you like it, thanks for clarifying those points! **

**Aurora L Black: Hey! Thanks for the review! Again, this is a H/D fic but the plot has focused on Abby at the moment but it will soon only focus on H/D relationship, I promise! Enjoy! **

**Sweetblood17: I liked that bit too, Draco is finally standing up to Lucius and it gets better… **

**Kuroi Tsuki Jyurian: Thanks for the review! I still haven't had time to look up anime but I will soon. I'm just trying to finish this fic first. **

**I Dream Of Draco: Hey! Thank you for the compliment on my writing and Abby. Your review brightened up my day! I love your pen name, I think I might change mine. **

**Littlemissy616: Lol, hope you get to read this chapter! Glad you enjoy it so much, thanks for the review! **

**LadySerpent: Thank you, it makes me so happy to know my writing isn't so bad after all. Hope you enjoy this new chapter. **

**Dracosgirl2515: Hey, thanks for the review! Yeah my Hermione is a bit naïve but hey, most girls are and with Draco's good looks, what do you expect! Lol! You'll find out in this chapter if Hermione heard him say I love you or not. **

**Chas3r: Thanks for the email, there's some D/H action at the end for ya! **

**Hellakat: Well your review surprised me a little. I really don't mind flames but as long as they're justified. You criticse my writing but I've always said that I wasn't English and admit freely that its not the best. I do however, read through my old chapters and update them regularly when I see typing errors,etc. I don't know how , much you read of this fic but I'm guessing you're judging from the first chapter which isn't the best. I'd love to read your own fics to see if they could give me any tips but you haven't written any, so it's too easy on your part to criticise. **

**LeCriss: Lol! Thanks for the review! I try my best with grammar and stuff and I do check spelling mistakes. If you see any in this chapter, I'd be happy if you could point them out, thanks! **

**Sam: Thank you so much for your review! It was so nice! I'm glad you found the characters just like in the book because I've always wanted to keep them as true as possible! Hope you enjoy this chappie. **

**Dracocrazyem: Sorry I should have explained that 'OoTP' was Order of the Phoenix. Everyone also seems happy for Draco to say I love you (finally!) Enjoy the next chapter! **

**Malfoy'sAngel: Wow! Thank you so much for the long review! Even I don't leave reviewsd that long, except when I read 'Means To An end' by Nexis. It simply killed me. I'm sorry you find the relationship gong slowly between D/H but it has too, otherwise it's hard to believe. I'm so glad you like the whole Harry/Abby thing though! Your review made my day! **

**I'm so sorry guys but I'm on a time limit here, so thank you to everybody else who reviewed, I will get to you soon and a special thanks to warky who reviewed a few of my chapters! **

**Okay guys, this chapter is mostly about the Golden Trio and Ginny. It's basically** **the previous chapter but through Hermione's eyes. It should explain everyone's questions about how Abby was cured.**

**Enjoy! It's a long chapter!**

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Chapter 30

* * *

"Merlin, it's cold!" Ron called out, shifting closer to Hermione.

"Harry, you have to calm down!" Hermione called out to her best friend, looking around the Forbidden Forest, shivering. She was sitting on a moss-covered log, her feet had gone numb from the cold and she rubbed her hands together to keep them warm.

"It's been more than six hours, Hermione! She should be back now," Harry retorted, walking around nervously, crunching the snow under his feet.

"We know," Ginny said calmly, sitting on the other side of Hermione. "But there's nothing more we can do!"

Hermione turned to face Ginny and smiled weakly. Her red-haired friend was just as scared as the rest of them. Abigail should be back by now; the counter curse should have worked. But what if it hadn't? What if Abigail was revealing her powers to Voldemort? Would it be the end? Were they doomed?

Hermione let her mind wander as they all waited silently. She had been scared that night when Blaise had cast a spell on her. Hermione had never seen or heard such a spell before and she had feared what it could do to her cousin. But seeing the scar in Abigail's arm and her strange behaviour, Hermione had quickly understood that she was possessed.

**********************..~**~..**

_(flashback)_

Hermione looked helplessly in pools of silver.

"Let him go, Draco," she pleaded. She was so scared of what might happen next. Harry's face was covered with blood and the fury in Draco's eyes seemed terrible.

Her voice seemed to have surprised him, however, as Draco retracted his wand and let Harry go. Immediately, Hermione went to Harry's side making sure that he was okay. She couldn't believe what Draco had done to him. She made sure to ask him for an explanation later.

"Don't fuck with me again, Potter," she heard him say behind her before he left the room.

"We have to get you to the infirmary," Hermione said quietly, looking down at her disheartened friend. She could see it in Harry's eyes that Abigail's words had cut him deep.

"I think he's right, Hermione," Harry muttered, as she helped him up. "Abigail was just playing with us."

Hermione sighed heavily as she heard him. He had fallen right into their mind games.

"Harry, wake up!" she exclaimed angrily. "How can you believe a single word she just said! That wasn't Abigail! I don't know exactly what those gits did to her but I have an idea. Now come on!"

She helped him across the room and down to the infirmary where Madame Pomfrey took care of him. Hermione told the school nurse that Harry fell down several flights of stairs, which hardly seemed to convince her but they were let off anyway.

Heading straight to McGonagall's office, Hermione found her Head of House marking some essays.

"Professor McGonagall, I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore, it's urgent!"

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is away for the moment, taking care of business," McGonagall told her, looking worried. "If you like Miss Granger, I can send him a letter for you."

"No, its okay," Hermione answered exasperated. _Why isn't their Headmaster ever around? Unless... he was purposely drawn away from the school_.

Walking out of the office, lost in her thoughts, she suddenly realised how late it was and headed back to her dorm.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Hermione woke up the next morning lying next to Draco. He was holding her possessively around the waist, fast asleep. She turned to face him and kissed him softly on the forehead.

He's beautiful, she thought as she watched his flawless pale skin shine against the sunlight.

She had been so angry last night with him. He had done so many terrible things these past months and yet she loved him. She knew it now and she wasn't afraid to admit it to herself any longer. She couldn't help thinking about what he had said to her last night.

_You know my feelings have always been true. I don't know what I'd do without you._

He had been so honest and open with her. He had even promised her to help Abigail, but could she believe him? Or was she being too naïve?

Deciding not to think about it, Hermione got up carefully, trying not to wake Draco up and went to the window as she heard her owl hooting outside. Letting him in, she took the parchment of its leg and read it.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_Having heard about the recent incident concerning Abigail Serpent, I found it necessary to write to you and help you in your research for a counter curse. I have no doubt that you are willing to help your distant cousin and therefore I shall guide you before it is too late. I hope you understand how grave the situation is Miss Granger. I believe several students have cast a spell on Abigail and she is now possessed by Salazar Slytherin's spirit in order to reveal her family secrets to Lord Voldemort._

Hermione nodded as she read the letter. She had perfectly understood that Abigail was now a threat and that something needed to be done soon.

_There exists a counter curse to cure Miss Serpent and I am sure you already know in which section of the library, the book containing the curse, is shelved. I trust you to quickly find all the ingredients necessary. You will need as much help as possible. I shall return shortly to the school, however, no one can be punished or expelled for their actions unless Miss Serpent admits to me everything that happened once she is herself again._

_Good luck, Miss Granger, trust your instincts and please make haste._

_Albus Dumbledore_

Pocketing the letter, Hermione wrote a quick note for Draco and then headed immediately for the library.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"It's got to be in one of these books," Hermione said, searching through yet another book in the restricted section of the library. She looked anxiously over at Harry and Ron, who were looking out for Madame Pince. Harry had been let out this morning from the hospital wing and Hermione had immediately asked Ron, Ginny and him to help her.

"I found it!" Ginny whispered loudly, holding an ancient book entitled _'Possession and Exorcism'._

Both girls quickly made their way to the back of the main library and settled around a deserted table.

"Hermione, can you tell us what the hell is going on?" Ron asked annoyed. Harry had briefly told Ron and Ginny about Abigail but only Hermione seemed to be the only one who knew what was truly going on.

"I received a letter from Dumbledore this morning," she explained calmly, reading quickly through the book. "He confirmed what I thought about Abigail. Blaise cast a dark spell on her which caused her to be possessed by Salazar Slytherin's spirit, which explains the scar on her arm."

The Weasley's eyes grew wide in disbelief whilst Harry turned a shade paler.

"You mean she's become Salazar Slytherin?" Harry said quietly.

"No, she's still Abigail except now she's like the ultimate Slytherin, I guess." Hermione continued, looking up at him. "That's what Blaise wanted I think and that would also explain why she reacted so strongly to us because we're Gryffindors and why she called me a Mudblood."

A long silence followed as Hermione flicked through the book and the others took in the information.

"I don't believe it!" Ron exclaimed to himself whilst Ginny started biting her nails.

"I know. That's why I need your help to get Abby back before she's brought to Voldemort."

Hermione suddenly stopped on a page and a small smile spread on her lips. "Here it is," she said, pointing to the page. "It's a potion."

An hour later, Hermione stood in her common room, reading thoroughly through Dumbledore's letter again. She had sent the others to fetch all the necessary ingredients from Snape's office or their personal kit. Harry had gone to Snape's office using his father's invisibility cloak and praying that the Potions professor would be giving a class.

But Hermione had read through the potion's list of ingredients twice and it stated clearly that the victim's blood was needed for the curse to be lifted. _Dammit! There's no way we can collect a sample of Abby's blood in time! I can't believe Dumbledore didn't say anything about this!_

Reading the letter again, she thought about the last line again: _trust your instincts_

_Great! And what do my instincts tell me? Not much._

She was interrupted when the common room door suddenly swung open and her friends filed in.

"We got everything!" Harry exclaimed, hurriedly putting all the ingredients around the cauldron near the fireplace. "It wasn't easy but we got them."

They all sat on the couch and looked up at Hermione expectedly. She was the cleverest witch in Hogwarts and therefore she would make the potion.

"There's a problem," Hermione admitted, passing the book to them. "It states there clearly that we need Abigail's blood for it to work."

She watched as Harry read the page once more and then shared a nervous look with Ron. It was the only plan they had and now it was crumbling down.

"Couldn't we use someone else's blood?" Ginny remarked, looking too at the book. "I mean, couldn't we use a sample of her father's blood or something. We could owl him, explaining the situation –"

Harry and Ron quickly butt in, reminding her that they didn't have enough time and that Abigail's father might refuse but Hermione wasn't listening.

_Trust your instincts_, Hermione thought. And at this point, they were telling her that her plan just might work.

"Ginny's right," she said quietly. "We can use someone else's blood. But we don't need to owl Abby's father; she already has a relative here at Hogwarts."

"Who?" Harry asked confused.

Hermione sighed, bracing herself for the worst. "Me."

**********************..~**~..**

"Harry, please SIT down!" Ginny cried out impatiently, holding her cloak tightly around her. He didn't listen to her and continued to pace around the forest clearing, eventually stopping to lean against a tree. Hermione looked up at her best friend and realised how much he had changed over the past months. She still couldn't believe how he had stood up to Draco and even fought with him. It really was a stupid thing to do but incredibly brave.

_Brave? Yes, he's brave. He's confident again, he fights back and now he's fighting for Abigail._

But that wasn't all that had changed in Harry. He was no longer so lean and tired-looking, on the contrary, he looked healthy, strong and full of energy. He looked nothing like he did at the beginning of the year and it made Hermione happy.

"That is it!" he suddenly shouted, pushing himself off the tree trunk. "Hermione, tell me where the Death Eaters are meeting. I'm going to find her!"

At his words, Hermione noticed Ron next to her gulp nervously.

"Harry, give her another ten minutes and if she still doesn't show up, I promise we'll go after her," Hermione bargained with him.

Seeing the determined look in his eyes, Hermione had no other choice but to gain time. After all, they couldn't all just apparate at a Death Eaters' meeting! They had no idea if the potion had even worked. And whatever happened, Harry had to be kept as far away as possible from Voldemort. Praying Abigail would return in the next ten minutes, Hermione watched as Harry stormed off angrily.

"Fine! Ten minutes!"

"'Mione, we can't just walk in a Death Eater meeting? We'll get killed!" Ron exclaimed, after Harry left.

Hermione turned to Ginny who looked just as worried as her brother.

"I don't know what else to do Ron," Hermione admitted, sighing heavily.

Watching Harry from afar, she realised it wasn't the first time today that he had been angry with her.

**********************..~**~..**

(flashback)

"WHAT?" Ron immediately shouted, his face turning crimson. "You've got to be kidding, right?"

Hermione looked back at her three best friends nervously. "My mother and Abigail's father are cousins. Therefore Abigail is sort of my distant cousin," Hermione explained quietly.

"Oh Merlin!" Ginny couldn't help saying, shocked by the news. "Hermione, you're related to maybe the oldest Pureblooded family ever!"

Hermione, however, was watching Harry who still hadn't said a word. His once shiny green eyes had turned cold.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" he demanded sharply, standing up.

"Well – I didn't think – I - er- "

"We've known each other for seven years and you only tell us now? I thought we didn't keep secrets from each other, Hermione!" His words were harsh but it was her fault, she should have told them straight away.

"I'm sorry, she was sorted into Slytherin and I preferred to keep it quiet. Besides, it's not like I knew her well or anything!" Hermione argued back but it was useless.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us!" Ron fumed, standing up as well.

"Does Dumbledore know about this?" Harry suddenly exclaimed. "Do you realise what could happen if Voldemort knew you were related to her?"

Ginny gasped at his words. Hermione sighed to herself. She had already been lectured by Draco and really didn't want to hear more reproaches.

"Look guys. I'm sorry. But we have no time for this," Hermione retorted. "I promise, you can lecture me all you want once we save Abigail."

Harry agreed with a nod of the head, his eyes still watching hers in concern.

"She's right," Ginny added, picking up the book again. "And we still have another problem to solve. How the hell are we going to get Abby to drink the potion?"

"She doesn't need to drink it. It just needs to be in contact with her skin," Hermione answered, gathering the ingredients and starting the potion.

"Okay, listen you guys," Harry took over, turning to Ron and Ginny. "Hermione is going to stay here and brew the potion. We should all get back to class before we're caught and we'll meet back here before lunchtime. Till then, think of ways to get Abby close enough to the potion. All right?"

Ron and Ginny both nodded and quickly left the common room. As soon as they left, Harry turned to face Hermione.

"There's something else on my mind, Hermione," Harry said, frowning deeply. "Back in the room of requirement, Malfoy was looking for any excuse to hurt me badly, I could see it in his eyes. But suddenly he let me go, on _your_ orders."

Hermione froze.

"Why?"

"I don't know why," she lied quickly, looking away. "I guess I must have surprised him or something and he let go."

"But then why did you call him Draco?" Harry suddenly questioned, looking at her suspiciously. "Is there something going on between you two?"

"No!" she retorted. "For Christ's sake, Harry, he's Malfoy! And being Head Boy and Girl we have to call each other by our first names. I guess I'm just used to it now."

Harry continued to look at her, as if he was searching the truth in her eyes. "Good luck with the potion," he concluded, leaving the common room.

Hermione let out a heavy sigh as he left. She hated lying to her friends and wanted to tell them everything so badly! Maybe it was time they knew about Draco. Lost in her thoughts, she went up to her room to find the last instrument she needed; a dagger.

A few hours later, she was healing her hand magically as Ron was finishing the potion.

"Don't touch it, Ron!" Hermione warned as he stirred the potion a dozen times clockwise.

"I've finished," he said, turning back to her.

"Fine. Now we need to let it cool," Hermione told them before turning to Harry and Ginny. "So any ideas?"

"Well, we thought we could spill it on her. Make it look like an accident," Harry suggested, looking curiously at the potion. "But we need to find a container to put it in."

"Well seeing as it's dark blue, we could put it in an ink bottle," Ginny added, next to him.

"That's brilliant, Gin!" Hermione exclaimed, sitting down on the couch, exhausted.

"So, who wants to spill fake ink on bitchy Abby then?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"I will," Harry answered quickly. "I couldn't save her before but I'll save her this time."

"Harry," Hermione whispered quietly. "It wasn't your fault." She paused, not knowing what else to say.

"Well that's settled then," Ron quickly butt in. "Let's have lunch!"

As Hermione watched her friends gather their stuff, she felt guilty. These were her three best friends and she had been keeping so many secrets from them this year.

"Listen guys," she began, wringing her hands uneasily. "I really am very sorry I didn't tell you before about Abigail. Of course, Dumbledore knew about it Harry and I thought as long as he knew there was no point in troubling you with it."

"No Hermione, we're sorry," Ginny admitted, looking back at Harry and Ron who agreed. "We overreacted and you had every right to keep it secret. So let's forget about it, there are more important things going on at the moment."

Hermione smiled weakly back at her friends. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have them. She knew that she could always count on them to understand. Maybe sometime soon, she should tell them about Draco; tell them before the war began and it was too late.

"Come on, I'm starving!" Ginny exclaimed, linking arms with Hermione as they filed out of the Head quarters.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"Fuck," Harry breathed out as he watched through the window three dark figures make their way towards the Forbidden Forest.

Hearing him swear, Hermione, along with Ron and Ginny approached the window in turn, watching in fear.

_Shit! This wasn't supposed to happen! Harry spilt the potion on her after lunch! Abigail should be normal again!_

But it was clear to everyone that she wasn't as she walked along side presumably Blaise and Draco towards the Forest. The two Death Eaters were leading her to Voldemort tonight.

"Let's go!" Harry suddenly ordered, picking up his cloak.

Everyone else followed him quickly, down the stairs, towards the castle door and out on the grounds.

"So, what are our options now?" Ginny whispered to Hermione, shivering from the cold.

"Apparating there is out of question!" Hermione immediately said, looking sternly at Harry. "I guess we just have to wait."

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. "Is that it?"

"How is waiting going to help?" Ron asked confused, marching behind Hermione.

"Well if the potion has worked, then Abigail will surely be herself again soon and when she realises where she is, my bet is that she'll disapparate and hopefully, she'll end up at Hogwarts again," Hermione explained, walking quietly through the deserted creepy forest.

Ginny moved closer to her in fear and grabbed her arm. "_Lumos!_" she said, taking out her wand. They all took out their wands in the end, lighting faintly the dark forest.

"This way," Hermione showed them, turning right, deeper into the forest.

"Um – Hermione!" Ginny whispered to her. "What if the potion doesn't work? What if Abigail stays possessed?"

Hermione stayed silent a few seconds. Why did she have to be in charge? She didn't want to have to take such important decisions. It was all right being Head Girl and in charge of Hogwarts students but this was too much.

"I don't know, Gin," she admitted uneasily, walking faster. "I never meant to plan that far ahead."

They continued to walk silently and after ha;f an hour, it was then that they reached the small clearing where apparation was possible. The moon was out that night, lighting up the small tree-clear patch, covered in snow.

**********************..~**~..**

"It's been ten minutes," Ginny finally stated, looking down at her watch. "And she's still not back."

Hermione broke out from her thoughts as she saw heard Harry make his way back to the clearing.

"What do we do?" Ron asked nervously, also noticing Harry coming back.

Hermione stood up and started walking about, kicking her feet in the snow, trying to warm them up. _What do we do now?_ She thought to herself. Do we risk everything now to try and save Abigail? Do we convince Harry to wait a little longer? But as she looked up at him, he looked straight back at her, the same determination in his face.

Waiting wasn't an option. Now they had to act.

"We're coming with you," she stated, as Ginny and Ron stood up too. "But we're risking our lives, you know. Are we ready for that?"

She turned to face all three of her friends and watched all kinds of emotions pass through them. What they were thinking right then, Hermione didn't know, but what she did know is that no one was ready to die. They stood silently, watching each other until Hermione sighed and revealed the location of the Death Eater meeting.

However, as she did, a large pop was heard behind her. Spinning around, the Gryffindors saw a girl collapse in the snow.

Abigail was back.

They all stared at her in silence for a few seconds as Abigail slowly regained consciousness and tried to sit up. Harry approached her cautiously. "Abigail?"

But before he said anything else, she rolled to her side suddenly and threw up. Hermione stepped quickly by her side, holding back her hair as Abigail sat up and continued to be sick. "Harry, help me."

"Urgh, Merlin!" Ron exclaimed, stepping back from the scene as Harry helped Abigail up.

"Shut up, Ron!" Ginny told him sharply, hitting him in the arm. "Is she okay?" she asked, seeing her pale-faced friend, barely able to walk.

"Abby?" Hermione said, using her wand to clean up her face. "Abby - it's Hermione. We're here to help you, it's okay!"

Abigail seemed to snap out of her thoughts as she heard Hermione. "What happened? Where am I?" she answered in fear, fighting against Harry's grip. Surprised, Harry let her go and she fell back on the ground.

"Abigail, it's okay," Hermione soothed her, bending down to her knees. "You were possessed but we brought you back. It's okay Abby, he's gone - Slytherin's gone."

Hermione held her hand, stroking it softly. It didn't surprise her that Abigail was so scared after what she'd been through. They needed to get her to safety now, back to the castle. Reading her mind, Harry helped Abigail up again. She looked incredibly pale and very tired. Her body was shaking slightly and Hermione couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the exorcism.

"Thank you," Abby breathed out as she looked up in Hermione's dark eyes.

"Ginny, Hermione, you lead the way back with your wands," Harry suggested, holding on to Abigail. "Ron, come and help me."

Nodding in agreement, Hermione took out her wand, showing the way back to the castle.

"We'll take her back to my room," Hermione advised Harry. "She can't go back to the Slytherin dorms. Not in this state."

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Half an hour later, Hermione watched Abigail sleeping soundly in her bed. Harry was there too, they had decided that he would watch over her through the night.

"She needs to rest," Hermione said quietly, heading to the door. "If she's not well in the morning, we'll take her to the infirmary. I'll be in the common room. Goodnight."

"Night," he called after her.

Sitting down in the couch, facing the fire, Hermione waited patiently for Draco to return. He walked in some time later, looking tired and annoyed. As he saw Hermione, he halted and then sat down next to her.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, seeing his concerned expression.

"Your spell worked," he told her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "Abigail disapparated from the meeting before she revealed anything. You?"

Hermione sighed heavily. "We nearly apparated to save her but then Abigail appeared in time."

She noticed Draco's face turned a shade paler. "You would have been slaughtered!" he told her bluntly.

"I know," she admitted, blaming her Gryffindor courage for nearly making her go.

She looked at Draco who watched the fire intensely. Something was troubling him but she didn't know what.

"Did anything else happen at that meeting?" she asked worried.

Draco paused a few seconds before answering her. "No, nothing," he replied. "Where is she?"

"In my room," Hermione admitted, snuggling closer to Draco. "Harry's with her."

"Potter?" Draco inquired, tensing up.

Hermione frowned at his question. Looking up, she stared defiantly in his steel gray eyes. "Of course, Harry!" she answered flatly. "Who else was going to take care of Abby? Her Slytherin friends maybe?"

"Good point," Draco answered, holding her closer to him.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow," Hermione said yawning. "I'm so tired."

Draco agreed, kissing the top of her head.

"Can I – can I sleep in your bed tonight?" she asked rather sheepishly.

Draco smirked at her question. "Definitely."

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

**Uh oh! Hermione sleeping in Draco's bedroom and Harry is next door... do you think they'll get caught? Do you want them to get caught?**

**I hope you didn't get confused with all the flashbacks! Basically the story is Hermione with the others waiting in the forest and she remembers how the day went.**

**Otherwise, hope you enjoyed the Hermione and Harry confrontations. Seems like Harry wants to be the leader again!**

**Only 8 chapters to go!**

**Next chapter: Abby's POV. Basically she recovers, tried to deal with consequences and her relationship with Harry develops considerably… (if you don't agree with that last part, tell me!)**

**Review this way please…**


	31. Consequences

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belongs to wonderful, fabulous and creative J.K. Rowling. Anything else belongs to me, basically the OC Abigail Serpent.**

**Author's Notes: Hey, surprise, surprise! I'm updating at last! I usually update once a week but as reviews have been flooding in, I decided to update faster. However, I have many deadlines for essays, etc next week, so my next chapter will not be up so soon methinks! In case you guys didn't know yet, I'm at university and I have TONS of work and exams are approaching, yikes!**

**Before I comment on this chapter, I have been criticised a few times about my writing which is sometimes scrappy, I admit and I now have a beta-reader who has helped me with this chapter and hopefully will help me with the next ones. I am also going through some previous chapters and re-writing some small bits as I admit, the grammar is sometimes quite bad and I will also get rid of typos. Do not worry, the storyline will not change! This is only for future readers who might be put off by my writing.**

**Special thanks to chas3r who is my beta-reader!**

**Thank you all soooo much for reviewing! Last time I checked I had 283 reviews, yay and I hope to get many more! I personally thanked everybody at the end of the chapter but read the chapter first or it will be spoiled for you!**

**Ok, so this is chapter 31 and Abby's POV. I know some of you have complained about her being a central character but she is important to the story and spices up other characters lives. However this is Abigail's before last chapter whereas Hermione and Draco have more to come.**

**So many of you thought that Hermione and Draco would get caught. Well read on to find out, I'll comment about it at the end.**

**Enjoy!**

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Chapter 31

* * *

Abigail slowly opened up her eyes as she heard noises beside her. As she awakened gradually, pain filled her head and the room began spinning around her again._ Where am I?_ she thought, looking around the red and gold decorated room and suddenly recognised Hermione's room. Sitting up, she groaned as the pounding ache in her head became intolerable.

"Here, take these," someone said beside her, giving her some pills with a glass of water. Without hesitation, Abigail took the medicine and felt much better in seconds. She looked up to find Harry, sitting next to her on the bed, holding a bottle of aspirin.

"Morning," he greeted her smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Abigail asked confused, putting the glass down on the bedside table.

"I brought you here with Ron, remember? And then I stayed to watch over you," he explained, looking at her curiously.

"Oh yeah," she managed to say. She felt so sick and tired and she felt embarrassed that Harry was there.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked with concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Abby admitted, snuggling back under the covers, as if to hide from him. "My head hurts and I feel really sick."

"I'm not surprised," he answered, sitting back down in the chair nearby. He fell silent for a couple of seconds watching Abigail as she closed her eyes pretending to fall asleep again. In fact, she was dreading the questions that Harry would ultimately ask.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked honestly, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

Silence.

Abigail slowly opened her eyes again, staring up at the ceiling. "Yes."

"Everything?"

"Most of it."

Silence fell once more upon the room and Abby could hear Harry's heavy breathing.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, turning her head to face him. "I didn't mean those things I said, I had no control over my thoughts, it was –"

But Abigail couldn't finish her sentence as tears started rolling down her cheeks. The truth was that Abigail meant what she had said; she had meant what she had done. For the past couple of days, acting as a true Pureblood was like a necessity or rather it was comforting. Thoughts about wizard blood and wealth and power had suddenly invaded her as Salazar Slytherin's thoughts had overwhelmed her and they had made her act differently until last night. When Abigail was exorcised, she seemed to wake up from a dream and only then did she realise how wrong those thoughts were and how awful her actions had been.

"I'd better get you some breakfast," Harry said quickly, standing up. "You need to eat something."

"I should probably have a shower," Abigail laughed softly, wiping her tears away.

He nodded and then left the room without a word. She got out of bed and realised that she was still wearing her clothes from last night, which consisted of black trousers and a black T-shirt. She had worn them especially for the meeting. Looking around the room, Abigail couldn't find her wand and then remembered that Malfoy had it.

The thought of Malfoy angered her. She couldn't believe all the things he had done to her while she was possessed. She walked out of the room finally and down to the bathroom when she heard a noise. Peering inside the bathroom, she gasped at the sight before her.

Malfoy and Hermione, both half-naked and dripping wet, were passionately kissing. Seeing Abigail in the doorway, Hermione pulled away and hurriedly tried to cover herself up.

"This isn't what you think," she squeaked, whilst Malfoy smirked at her.

"It's okay, she knows about us," Malfoy told Hermione, casually slipping on a shirt.

"Merlin, Hermione! Are you insane?" Abby exclaimed in shock, closing the door hurriedly behind her. "What if Harry had caught you? I don't believe this!"

"Give her a break," Malfoy retorted, seeing Hermione distressed. "You should be thanking her, not screaming at her. She saved your life yesterday in case you don't remember!"

Abigail turned red in the face at his words. "I wasn't talking to you!"

Malfoy barely flinched at her words. He was obviously expecting her to be mad at him.

"So," she continued, looking at the scene before her. "Did you stage this Malfoy? Did you expect Harry to come through this door instead of me?"

She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is that the best plan you could think of to break up Dumbledore's Trio?" she sneered, venom in her voice.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise as Draco's eyes narrowed to two silver slits.

"Let's go," he said quickly, leading Hermione out of the bathroom.

As soon as Abigail shut the door behind them, she heard Hermione's angry voice shout at an equally angry Malfoy and smiled. _Good, that should teach him!_

She then quickly turned the hot water on in the shower, drowning out their voices.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Clutching the towel wrapped around her, Abigail went back up to Hermione's room to change. She couldn't hear any noise and guessed that the two Head students had finally gone to class. Harry was already in the room waiting for her; apparently he had decided to skip classes. On the bedside table lay a plate with muffins and jam as well as a mug of hot chocolate.

"Wow, thanks Harry!" she exclaimed, seeing her breakfast.

She noticed fresh clothes on the bed, laid out for her and her wand next to them.

He smiled back at her. "How do you feel?"

"Much better, thanks," she said hugging her wand and casting a few healing spells on herself.

"Um – I'd better let you get changed," he suddenly realised, heading for the door.

"No, its okay. You can stay," she told him, reaching for a muffin. "Just turn around and don't look."

He did so and Abigail got changed quickly, wondering what to say to him. It was so awkward to see him so concerned for her after what she had told him. She felt so guilty but at the same time it gave her a warm feeling to know that he had taken care of her. Finally dressed, she felt comfortably better. Her headache had definitely gone and so had the sickness. But the tension between her and Harry still hanged in the air.

She stepped up to him and put a hand on his back. "It's okay, I'm dressed now."

Harry turned around and looked attentively at Abigail's outfit. She was wearing an old pair of jeans with cuts in all the right places and a red strappy top. Abigail wondered what the hell Hermione was thinking when she chose the outfit but noticed it looked nice with her tanned skin.

"Listen Harry," she began, keeping her hand on his shoulder. "I wanted to apologise again for what happened. I'm sorry I hurt you and I want to thank you for helping me. You really didn't have to do all this."

He smiled back at her and his shiny green eyes made Abigail's insides melt. She suddenly realised, for the first time, how much he had changed since she had properly met him this year. He wasn't skinny anymore but looked stronger.

_He looks happy, confident and still really good-looking!_ _And to think it could have all crumbled down this morning if he had caught Hermione with Malfoy!_

Mentally slapping herself for staring at his body so obviously, Abigail felt his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him.

_Okay, maybe now he's too confident..._

"I was worried about you. I nearly apparated to the Death Eater's meeting to save you," he admitted, his eyes looking intently at her. "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you."

Hearing his words, Abigail felt her face flush and suddenly found her feet very interesting. She didn't expect him to be so forward with her but what happened next surprised her even more. Harry cupped her face with his hand and Abigail's eyes were inevitably drawn into his own. He brushed his lips softly over her own, before kissing her lightly on the lips.

Abigail kissed him back softly as her hand made its way from his shoulder to his neck. He answered her request and they were soon kissing passionately, forgetting everything that had happened these past few days. Feeling his hand slip under her top, Abigail stopped him.

"Harry, so much has happened to me recently that I don't think I can cope with anymore pain," she breathed out, her pleading eyes locking with his.

"I understand," he murmured, stroking her hair. "I'd never hurt you Abby."

His words caused her to smile and soon she was kissing him hungrily again. Her hands ran through his hair as he kissed her cheeks, then her neck, causing her to moan. Gradually stepping backwards, they made their way to the bed. She continued to kiss Harry feverishly as she started unbuttoning his shirt.

But he stopped her.

"Abby, we're in Hermione's room!" he exclaimed, smiling brightly.

"Oh yeah - right," she answered, laughing softly.

"Besides, you should be resting," he teased her, sitting her down on the bed. "Come on, you haven't even finished your breakfast yet."

Abigail pouted, not disguising her disappointment but quickly laid down on the bed next to Harry, smiling as she drank her hot chocolate. All tension between them seemed to have disappeared and they both looked a lot happier.

It was finally lunchtime and Abigail heard Hermione walk in the common room, calling out her name. Emerging from the bedroom with Harry, Hermione told her that Dumbledore had just returned and wanted to see her. Picking up her Slytherin robes, she wrapped them tightly around her.

"Don't worry," Harry soothed her. "I'll be right here waiting with some lunch when you get back."

She smiled at him and kissed him softly, surprising Hermione, before she left. Walking down the corridor, she realised her hands were shaking like leaves. She still clearly remembered her last meeting with Dumbledore, or at least she thought it was him. Professor Snape greeted her at the bottom of the stairs. Muttering the password, the phoenix statue revealed the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office. Knocking on the door, Abigail entered cautiously and noticed the Headmaster was patiently waiting for her.

"Ah, Miss Serpent, please come in," he greeted her warmly, offering her a seat. "How are you feeling? I understand Miss Granger with her friends' help was successful in making the potion."

Abigail's eyes opened wide in disbelief. "You knew?"

"I helped them find the potion, Miss Serpent," Dumbledore answered, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "I am sorry I could not prevent Mr Zabini's plan but I had been purposely drawn away from Hogwarts at the time. Yet you still haven't answered my question, how are you feeling?"

"I feel much better thank you," she answered honestly. "I think I just need some rest."

"And I have already warned your professors of your absence for today and tomorrow. I hope you will be able to attend classes after that," he demanded, offering her a sherbet lemon, which Abigail, surprised, took willingly.

"Um – yes of course," she said, still completely shocked to see how different the real Dumbledore was from the fake. How did she not realise that it wasn't him she was talking to a couple of months ago?

"Tell me, Abigail," he suddenly asked reading her mind. "Do you have any information concerning the person who impersonated me?"

"Yes I do. Voldemort himself told me that he sent a Death Eater to replace you temporarily to meet me," she explained, trying to recall what she had heard the previous night. "He said that he wanted me to know the truth about my grandmother. He wanted me to become like her."

"Yes, unfortunately your grandmother found a way to help others without losing her powers and chose to help Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore informed her, looking intently at Abigail through his half-moon spectacles.

"So it is true,"she whispered quietly. "I wasn't able to ask my mother before she died."

"Yes, unfortunately your grandmother did some terrible things in the past which caused your family to exile abroad and today your family name is no longer trusted among the Ministry."

She looked up at him in surprise. Now she knew why her parents had left England and weren't allowed in the country.

"I am terribly sorry to bother you with all this but I must warn you," he stated seriously. "The Ministry, of course, has heard of your mother's recent death and is very concerned with you being the new Serpent leader. They fear that you might follow your grandmother's path."

"But why?"she exclaimed confused.

"Because you are in Slytherin, my dear," he answered in the same calm voice.

"Oh."

"I wouldn't worry about the Ministry of Magic, but I thought it best that you are now aware of the situation," he concluded, smiling warmly.

"Thank you, Professor," Abigail said getting up and then left his office.

She was glad that he had warned her but thought nothing of it. _What could the Ministry possibly do to me now?_ she thought as she walked the stairs back to the Head dorm. She avoided as many students as she could, walking quickly and keeping her head down. Reaching the portrait, she said the password and walked in. She found Hermione sitting on the couch, reading Hogwarts: A History.

"Hey," she greeted the Head girl. "Where's Harry?"

"I don't know," she replied, barely lifting her head out of the book.

Abigail noticed a plate of food on the coffee table for her and sat down next to Hermione to eat.

"Is Malfoy here?" she asked uninterested.

"I hope not," Hermione muttered angrily, causing Abby to feel guilty.

"Oh," she began, biting her lower lip. "Um – Hermione, I was lying this morning. Malfoy really does care about you. I'm really sorry I said those things, but you guys weren't careful enough. If Harry had walked in instead of me, I don't even want to imagine the disaster it would create!"

"Disaster?" Hermione gulped nervously.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" she stated, deadly serious. "Harry and Ron must _never_ find out. If they ever did, that would be the end of you three and then we've definitely lost the war."

Hermione fell silent, not knowing what to say.

"Their hate for Malfoy blinds them! They could never understand that you two actually love each other," she continued, picking up her sandwich.

"I don't love Draco," Hermione said quickly, looking away uneasily.

"Yeah whatever," she laughed softly, seeing how embarrassed Hermione was now that she was caught.

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked softly, turning to face Abigail.

"A lot better," Abby answered, chewing her sandwich. "Thanks for everything, you know. I'm sorry I was harsh with you this morning. Being possessed seriously screwed with my mind so don't take it seriously if I act like a bitch for the next few days. Really, I don't know how I could ever repay you guys!"

"That's okay. Although, you know, I did have to tell Harry, Ron and Ginny that we were related," Hermione admitted to her.

Her words caused Abigail to choke on her food. "Really!" she finally exclaimed surprised. "What did they say?"

"Well they were quite shocked to start with but now they're fine about it," she explained, putting her book down.

Abigail continued to eat as silence fell upon the room. She started thinking about what she would do tomorrow as she had the day off.

"It's my birthday tomorrow!" she suddenly realised out of the blue. She had completely forgotten about it with everything that had happened recently.

"Really? Maybe we should do something," Hermione said excitedly, already planning an event.

"Yeah right," she answered sarcastically. "In case you didn't notice, Slytherins aren't supposed to mix with Gryffindors."

"Well you're dating one!" Hermione teased, raising an inquiring eyebrow.

Abigail smirked back at her. "Yeah, just don't tell anyone," she warned.

"I knew the outfit would work!" Hermione whispered triumphantly as Abigail's mouth opened wide and she finally threw a pillow at her.

"I don't believe it! You actually planned this? That's so devious, especially from Hermione Know-it-all Granger!" she laughed out loud.

"God, imagine what your family would say if they knew that you're dating Harry Potter," Hermione blurted out, still laughing.

Abigail's face fell at the mention of her family. "Actually, I'm not talking to my father at the moment," she admitted, turning back to her dessert, chocolate pudding.

_Not until he grows brains!_ she thought angrily to herself. Before Hermione could answer, Ginny burst through the common room door, looking excited and shocked at the same time.

"Abby!" she squeaked excitedly, bouncing around.

"Ginny!" Abigail exclaimed, jumping to her feet to hug her friend.

"How are you feeling?" the young Weasley asked.

"I'd be better if everyone stopped asking me that," she replied amused by Ginny's strange behaviour. She was jumping up and down, probably unable to keep the new piece of gossip she had heard.

"Ginny, sit down and tell us what you've heard from the gossip queens," Hermione stated annoyed, pointing to the armchair.

"It's about Abigail," Ginny finally admitted, sitting on the edge on her seat. "Merlin, I don't know how to tell you guys this!"

"Do you already know about me and Harry?" Abigail asked with worry, finishing her ice-cream. It was truly terrifying how gossip spread like fire in Hogwarts. If Harry had told anyone, then it was probable that the whole school knew by now.

"No, but tell me about that!" she said, her eyes sparkling with interest.

"Ginny!" Hermione shouted exasperated.

"Okay, okay, so as I said it concerns Abigail and I hope it's only a rumour," Ginny said dramatically, as Abigail listened to her carefully, sipping her pumpkin juice.

"Trust me; I'm ready for anything today, so shoot!" she reassured her.

Still unsure, Ginny continued to tell her story. "Okay, so basically I was eating lunch in the hall when I overheard Parvati and Lavender talking about the latest gossip. Apparently they overheard Pansy talking to Millicent who said that Abigail was stealing all the men from her."

"What is she talking about?" Hermione asked turning to face Abigail who shrugged, still drinking her juice, perfectly unaware of what Ginny was talking about. Maybe Pansy had found out that Malfoy and her had kissed, after she'd been possessed.

"Abby," Ginny finally concluded. "Pansy was upset because apparently you slept with Blaise the night before last."

Her words caused Abigail to suddenly spit her pumpkin juice out across the coffee table.

"WHAT?" she exclaimed angrily, standing up quickly, towering over Ginny. "No, that's not true! There's no way in hell that I would sleep with –"

But she stopped all of a sudden and sat back down, speechless. Ginny, completely caught off guard, looked positively scared of Abby's reaction whilst Hermione was now looking very intently at her.

"Oh no!" Abigail finally managed to say grabbing her head in her hands, as she gradually recalled the night she had spent with Blaise. "Oh shit! How could I forget? Oh Merlin, this is so bad, Harry's going to kill me!"

She got up again quickly, grabbing her cloak. "Ginny, who's heard the rumour so far?" she asked quickly, pocketing her wand.

"Um – the whole school," she answered, sharing a nervous look with Hermione. "Abby, um – you slept with Blaise?"

"I was fucking possessed!" she retorted angrily and disgusted with herself. "I had no control at all over what I was doing and unfortunately, being possessed by Salazar Slytherin apparently makes you want to sleep with Slytherins! It was like I was trapped in my own body, not really realising what was going on. I've got to explain this to Harry!"

She ran out of the common room, racing down the stairs, in search of the Gryffindor boy. He was the only good thing that had happened to her in weeks and Voldemort and his stupid Death Eaters had possibly ruined it for her.

Half an hour later, she spotted Harry, outside in the cold, sitting on a bench next to the snow covered Quidditch field. It was nearly February and possibly the coldest time of the year in England but she didn't care. Looking down at the footsteps Harry had previously made in the snow, she followed them to the bench, praying that he hadn't heard about Blaise. As she reached the field, Harry continued to stare out in front of him.

"Harry, what are you doing out here?" she asked with concern. "Come back inside before you catch a cold."

She wanted to pull him up and take him back but his words stopped her.

"Is it true what they say?" he questioned clearly, finally looking up into her scared eyes.

"What did you hear?" she asked back nervously. She couldn't admit it to him; she was too scared to lose him.

"I don't know, Abigail," he stated sarcastically. "Why don't you tell me?"

Abigail gulped nervously before sitting down next to Harry as he continued to stare out at the Quidditch field.

"Yes it's true," she answered quietly. "Ginny just told me that the whole school knew about it as well."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked coldly, turning to face her.

"I'd honestly forgotten what had happened with Blaise," she explained, looking back into his angry eyes.

"You forgot?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Harry, I didn't want it to happen! I had no control over what I was doing, it wasn't me! I tried to forget all of it as quickly as possible," she retorted, hoping he would understand. He didn't say anything in return. He looked out ahead at the pitch, shivering slightly from the cold. Abigail looked at him in despair. This couldn't be happening, it wasn't her fault!

"Harry, don't let this get to you. It didn't mean anything, I was possessed for Merlin's sake! Trust me, I hate Blaise and one day I'll get him back for what he did to me! Please, can't you forget about this like I did - please?"

Her words caused him to laugh dryly, which stung her badly.

"Harry, I'm so sorry," she breathed out, trying to catch his gaze. "Please, believe me when I say I never wanted all of this. I understand that you're angry, I am too! But don't let Blaise destroy everything, please!"

Her pleading eyes caused him to look back at her. The anger had disappeared from his eyes but his gaze was still cold and different from anything she had seen before.

"I don't know Abby," he answered honestly. "I need some time to think about this."

She looked back at him, suddenly speechless from his distant stare. "I don't know what else to say."

"I think you should go now," he said quietly, turning his eyes away from hers.

Nodding her head in agreement, Abigail left quickly, making her way through the snow again, fighting back her tears. As she reached the castle doors, she bumped into the last person she wanted to see.

"Malfoy!" she spat out. "Go away, I really can't deal with you right now."

Seeing her red eyes and frown, he smirked back at her.

"Come out of your hiding place at last?" he sneered at her, still standing in front of her.

"I'm not hiding," she instantly bit back. "I'm recovering you idiot! And once I do, I'll hex your miserable Slytherin arse to oblivion! I can't believe you didn't save me when I called for you; I thought we were friends. But I guess that changed the day you became Voldemort's second in command!"

Malfoy chuckled to himself. "Well I thought you were very friendly with me these past two days."

Catching the meaning behind his words, Abigail went red in the face. She meant to hit him in the face, but he quickly caught her hand before she could, pulling her closer to him.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you got me in with Hermione this morning?" he asked her loudly.

"You deserved it!" she retorted angrily.

Noticing Harry in the distance, Malfoy smirked once more. "Oh revenge is sweet," he drawled, pulling her closer to him. "Lover Boy is on his way."

She quickly turned to head to see Harry coming towards them. "Now how are you going to explain to him why you're so close to me?" Malfoy commented mockingly.

"Ha! Ha!" Abigail said unamused. "I'll tell him the truth, that you're annoying me!"

"And do you really think he'll believe that?" Malfoy continued, his lean body pressing against hers. "Hasn't he heard that you slept with Blaise recently? What do you think he'll make of this?"

"Malfoy, let me go," she fought against his grip, realising the seriousness of the situation. "I didn't go so far this morning. This isn't a game, you know!"

"I know but revenge isn't so interesting anymore," he said waving her comment away. "There's something else that I want."

"What is it?" she said quickly, looking over her shoulder. If Harry caught her now with Malfoy, there was no way he would ever forgive her.

"I believe there are still a few things you need to tell me," he said seriously, his steel grey eyes boring into her own.

"If you're talking about the prophecy then forget it," she whispered loudly. "I know now how you repay people for helping you!"

"He's almost here," he chanted slyly, smirking as Abigail tried to break free.

"All right, all right," she quickly gave in, seeing Harry coming closer. It was a miracle he hadn't spotted them yet. "I'll tell you what you want tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"You're such a git! You know that, right?"

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Good girl," he drawled in her ear, before letting her go.

Abigail sped off into the castle, angrily making her way back to the Head common room. She hated how Malfoy used her for his own purposes, she felt like a puppet in his hands. However, his urgent request to know more about the prophecy concerning him could only mean one thing; war was about to begin and Malfoy needed to decide quickly where his loyalties lay.

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* * *

**Uh oh, the war is coming! Well you'd say its about time as there aren't that many chapters left!**

**I decided Harry wouldn't find out about H/D romance. It fits in better with the story as the last chapter will show…**

**Next chapter: Don't want to give away much but Draco finds out about prophecy from Abigail and he spends some extra time with Hermione before war preparations begin!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

Now I need to thank all those who reviewed including people who I missed last time:

Wuthie: Hey, I posted quickly this time! Hope you liked the story and thought that the whole counter-curse plot was fully explained in the previous chapter.

Teresa-is-the-best: Your review made me laugh out loud in a public library! I admit I got some weird stares, hope you got to read the rest!

May: Thanks for your reviews, I'm glad you like Abby as much as Draco/hermione. I didn't make Abigail seem to messed up in this chapter but there are consequences to the whole possession thing. There is more Draco/Harry interaction later on, I promise!

Warky: Thanks for the many reviews! I dedicated chapter 30 to you in case you didn't notice. I'm so glad you like my OC Abigail because its so hard to introduce new characters normally. My X-men fic (which is a big pile of crap at the moment) also had an OC and everyone seemed to hate her! About a sequel, I've definitely been thinking about it but I'll ask the readers soon what they think! Hope you liked this chapter, I think you're the only reviewer who didn't mind if Harry didn't catch them!

Lynster 89: Lol, I love your reviews! Unfortunately they didn't get caught but Abby definitely got closer to Harry. Hope you enjoyed this chappie, more D/H interaction in the next one!

D.r.a.c.o.s.H.e.r.m.o.s.O: Hiya! Hope you liked this chapter, it had more Draco in it and the next one will definitely have more D/H romance! Sorry about updating but as I explained above, I have a lot of work, but I usually only update once a day. Unfortunately I can't write whenever I want, sniff!

Roguish muse: Glad you didn't want thel to get caught either! You said exactly what I wrote in my chapter which is cool! I dunno about the sequel yet but I'll tell you soon!

Spicysuga: I love jason isaacs too! He's in Peter Pan as well and really good, I love that movie! About Abby and Voldemort, they'll be more of that in the last chapters, promise! Hoped you enjoyed this one!

Bob b: Glad you enjoy it! Always like to have new reviewers! Tell me what you think of this chappie!

MissDitzy: Hiya, sorry you were confused about the flashbacks but I liked the idea of Hermione simply waiting in the cold for Abby to return and remembering what happened during the day. I do that all the time when I go home after uni on the bus! Harry doesn't catch them but I hope you liked the drama when he found out about Blaise! Trust me, drama will keep increasing, its a dark fic after all…

Chinkerchickchu: Lol, all your wishes were granted I think! Glad you like it and I like you pen name, its cool!

MiXd EmOtIoNs08: Thanks for the review! Its cool that you also like Harry and Abigail together! About Dumbledore, well this chapter might have helped you to understand, otherwise feel fre to ask questions!

xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo: Hey, I hope you liked this chapter though they didn't get caught by Harry. More suspense coming in the next chapter and also mushiness…

hellakat: Hiya, I wrote an email to you before I posted this chapter. Hope you got it!

Emerald in ebony: Thank you for reviewing, you have a very cool pen name by the way!

Bookxluver: Yay, somebody else who also likes Abigail. Hope you liked this chapter and thank you for reading and reviewing!

Poorpadfoot: Hiya, I also think that Harry should be understanding it he had caught them. He likes Abby after all. Thanks for the review!

Hpcrzyfb: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you read it all and liked it. I've updated early this time but it might not be so soon next time, sorry.

LadySerpent: Lol, hell would break loose if Harry caught them but hopefully he didn't. Unfortunately chaos will eventuall happen when the war begins… thanks for the review!

Kuroi Tsuki Jyurian: Hey, thanks for the review! You're the only one who cared about how they were caught! I thought the bathroom was a fun place so now everyone's wondering what they were doing in there, lol!

Dracosgirl2515: Hiya, I started reading 'Relationships Change', I can't remember if I reviewed though. I really like it and will definitely continue to read! Lemon scenes coming up next chapter and I hope you're not too disappointed they didn't get caught this time.

Alenor: Thank you for reviewing! Hermione's mum is a squib and related to the Serpent family. Hope you liked this chappie!

Jtfanaddict: Hiya, thank you so much for you review! It was so nice! I can't believe Abigail is the best OC you've read about. The end isn't too cliché hopefully because this fic is a dark one after all. Hope you enjoyed this chappie!

Pippin1177: Hey! You've got a lot of questions which I can't answer without spoiling the rest of the story but most of them will be answered in chapter 33 hopefully! Hoped you liked this chapter as Harry and Abby finally got together though it doesn't seem so happy at the end!

Aurora L Black: Thank you for reviewing, sorry about the confusing flashbacks! Hope you enjoyed this chappie!

DCMMFAN: Hey, thanks for reviewing! What does DCMM stand for?

Malfoy'sAngel: Hiya, I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter. The flashbacks did seem a bit confusing but it was nice to see how Hermione managed to put the counter-curse together without summarising the whole thing in a single paragraph. Hope you understand why Harry didn't catch them yet, anyways enjoy the rest!

Sam: Thank you for the review! And I totally agree, Malfoy is rubbing off Hermione though I think it's also true the other way.

Girl88: I really enjoyed your review, it was really sweet! I'm glad you think my fanfic is original, I tried to make it different from everything else I've read though it does the classic plot of Hermione and Draco being Head girl and boy. All your questions will be answered in the next two chapters, hopefully!

Lane: Your review made my day! Thank you so much! And don't worry, I have every intention of finishing this fic and not leave too long intervals between each chapter.

Dracocrazyem: Hiya! I'm happy everyone agrees with Harry getting with Abigail! Thanks for also reading my one-shot, its quite depressing but I like dark short fanfictions too. I am thinking about writing a sequel to Dragon, Lion and Serpent but it will depend on if the readers want one or not!

A mega thanks also to lil-miz-greenday-911, hippie1212, kriCket xO, StarrySkyAtNight, rachel and abby!

I'm really pooped now, so I'd better get some sleep!

Hathor xxx


	32. Prophecy

**Author's Notes: Hiya! Sorry for the delay but I had exams and I really didn't have time to write. But to reward you of your patience, I have good news for you.**

**First, I'm now on holiday for nearly a month so I will have a lot of free time on my hands to write the next chapters and second, this chapter is quite long and has humour, suspense and D/H mushiness!**

**I hope you'll all enjoy it. Thank you to everybody who reviewed, I can't believe that I have over 300 reviews, its crazy. By the way, this chapter is dedicated to D.r.a.c.o.s.H.e.r.m.o.s.O who is my 300th reviewer! Yay! Thank you so much.**

**I promise I will write to you all next time but for now, read on.**

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Chapter 32

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Draco sat in the farthest corner of the library during lunchtime and waited. He hated waiting but he had no choice. He had to know about the prophecy and Abigail was on her way to tell him all about it.

He sat alone, watching out for her but his thoughts soon drifted off, thinking about the previous day.

They should have locked the bathroom door. Abigail was right, Harry could have caught them in action, but was that a good or bad thing? He had argued a long time with Hermione afterwards. She had believed Abigail when she said Draco was using Hermione to break up the Trio. He had nearly lost her and he had wanted to make Abigail pay for the pain she had caused. How convenient that the rumour about Blaise and her broke out just then at lunchtime!

"I'm here!" Abigail cried out as she arrived hurriedly, her black hair flowing behind her. Draco broke out of his thoughts and couldn't help but scowl at her.

"Merlin! Don't tell me you're still upset about what I said," Abigail exclaimed amused, sitting herself down opposite him. "Hermione knows that I was lying about you, so you can stop scowling! Besides, your face looks really ugly like that."

She laughed and Draco glared back at her. "You know, I think I liked you best when you were possessed. At least you were drooling all over me then."

"I can't believe you said that," Abigail said dangerously as Draco smirked back at her. "Do you have any idea what that was like for me? Do you think I actually enjoyed kissing you?"

"Merlin, can't you take a joke?" Draco said loudly, putting his feet up on the table.

Abigail gave him the finger in return.

"So, tell me," he continued, watching her closely. "Why did you keep calling me 'Dragon' and what's this prophecy about me? And remember, no telling Hermione about it."

Abigail rolled her eyes, but told him all the same. "Well it's a very old prophecy which I found a while ago written in the Serpent books. It's apparently very important from what I was told. I don't remember it in detail but I do remember the contents of it."

Draco hung on every word she said. He couldn't believe there actually was a prophecy concerning him.

"What does it say?" Draco asked eagerly, staring intently into her dark eyes.

"Something about a dragon arising from a Pureblood family, which I'm guessing is you and that it will do great things," she explained rather unwillingly.

"Great things?" Draco asked, his voice urging her to give more detail.

"Yes, well the prophecy doesn't explain if they're good or bad. I guess that's for you to decide," she finished, looking out for Draco's reaction.

"So what, that's it?" he burst out, kicking his feet to the ground.

"Well what were you expecting? A biography of your life?" Abigail said amused, playing with a strand of her hair. "But that's not all. The prophecy also says that if you choose to believe in it, if you choose the path to glory and power then you need to be warned. It's a long road and you face the world alone. It's a life of solitude."

Abigail fell silent as Draco froze at her words. _A life of solitude for a life of glory and power_, he thought to himself. Was it worth it?

"I know, it sucks," Abigail remarked loudly, noticing Draco's face. "But I guess if you're doing lots a great things then you won't have time for anything or anyone else. We all make sacrifices in the end, some more than others. I guess if you choose that path, you'll have to be prepared to die alone and unloved."

Her lack of compassion made Draco laugh softly. After all, he had never been nice to her, he had merely been using her over the year for his own intentions. Yet, she knew more about him than anyone else and he had opened up to her quite a few times as well. They didn't appreciate each other, but, aside from Blaise, Abigail was the closest thing to a friend Draco had.

"Well I've got better things to do, so I'll see you later," she suddenly told him, getting up from her chair.

"Thank you for telling me," Draco said in return, surprising her.

"Well it's not like I had much choice," she told him sternly, walking away.

Before she was out of view, however, she suddenly turned around and looked at him with concern. "Be careful, Draco. Think things over before you decide anything crazy."

Draco nodded his head and found himself alone in the library, thinking over his destiny.

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After classes, Draco ran into Hermione in the Heads' common room. She was sitting at one of the desks, revising. He noticed she wasn't wearing her school uniform but a pair of white trousers with a light blue top. A bunch of light brown curls cascaded down her back and Draco couldn't help but take in the stunning view in front of him.

Hermione didn't seem to notice his presence, too caught up in her work, so Draco decided to surprise her. He stepped up quietly towards her but suddenly stopped.

_It's a life of solitude._

If he chose to follow the prophecy, did that mean he would have to give up Hermione? Could he give up on her when she meant the world to him? He had never thought about it before.

"Draco!" Hermione gasped, as she noticed him. "You frightened me. What are you doing creeping up like that?"

"Nothing, just wanted to surprise you," Draco whispered in her ear. Making sure no one else was around; he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Where's the Slytherin bitch?" he asked, plumping himself on the couch. "I hope she's not with Potter again!"

"Draco," Hermione warned him, getting up from her desk. "She's in my room, she's staying the night again and Harry isn't here. Leave the poor girl alone, it's her birthday today!"

She paused, listening out for any sounds. "I haven't heard her for a while," she noticed, looking a little worried. "Maybe I should check on her."

"Yeah, whatever," Draco waved her off, picking up the Daily Prophet.

He heard Hermione make her way to her room and a few seconds later, he heard shrieking."Abigail Serpent! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Amused, Draco made his way to the room to see what all the fuss was about. "Hermione, give it a rest! It's only a cigarette," he heard Abigail retort as he reached the door. Abigail was leaning by the window, continuing to smoke, as Hermione's face went crimson. _She takes her Head Girl role too seriously_, Draco thought.

"Draco," Hermione started angrily as she saw him. "Tell her smoking isn't allowed in Hogwarts."

Abigail, just as mad, looked back at Draco expectantly too. "Yes Draco, why don't you tell me?"

"She's right you know." Draco said amused, crossing his arms over his chest. Abigail glared daggers back at him as she threw her cigarette butt outside the window.

"You see, he agrees," Hermione declared triumphantly.

"Of course he fucking agrees!" Abigail spat out, storming out of the room. "He's not an idiot! You won't shag him tonight if he doesn't agree!"

Draco, stunned, watched her leave as Hermione's jaw literally dropped to the floor.

"What the hell is her problem?" Draco finally managed to say.

"What do you think?" Hermione answered angrily. "It's the after effects of being possessed by Slytherin and I know it's not her fault, but I'm sick of it. So don't blame me if I hex her next time she has a mood swing."

"After effects? What do you mean?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well since we cured her, she's been happy one moment and a real bitch the next," Hermione explained, opening the windows to get the smoke out. "I don't know how Harry copes with it."

Draco's ears perked up as she mentioned Potter. "He's forgiven her?"

"Yeah, they're together again but it's a secret," Hermione said cleaning the mess Abigail left behind.

"Damn it!" she screamed, throwing a book across the room. "Doesn't she know what the word 'tidy' means?"

Dodging the book, Draco looked back at a very stressed Hermione. She seemed so tired and in real need of a break. He stepped up to her and hugged her lightly as she breathed heavily.

"I don't need this right now," she admitted, burying her head in his chest. "I need to revise my NEWTS!"

Draco stroke her hair gently and suddenly had an idea. "Hermione, let's go out," he said eagerly to her. "Let's go somewhere tonight. You definitely need a break and I'll be happy to take you somewhere quiet and nice. What do you think?"

"Where do you want to go?" Hermione asked worried, lifting her head. "And what if a Death Eater sees you with me?"

"Don't worry," he reassured her, looking softly into her eyes. "You'll be safe with me. So, what do you say?"

"As long as we don't get back too late," she cautioned him, thinking about his idea. "It's a school night after all."

Draco smiled at the studious student in his arms. "You agree then?"

"Of course I agree. You plan on getting laid tonight, remember?" she teased him, laughing gently.

Draco laughed with her, remembering Abigail's words, before pulling her closer to him and kissing her deeply.

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* * *

"A table for two please," Draco demanded the waiter.

The man nodded his head and disappeared among the crowded mass of tables and clients, looking for a spare place.

"I've never been here before," he admitted to Hermione who gazed around the brightly decorated wizard restaurant. "It's not sophisticated or posh enough for Purebloods. No one should recognise us here."

"It's perfect," Hermione breathed out, smiling back at him.

Draco had chosen an elegant medieval-style restaurant, which was highly reviewed in the Daily Prophet. The place was charming but definitely not selective of its clientele. They had apparated there from the Forbidden Forest, just before curfew started.

"Follow me please," the waiter said, returning with a couple of menus.

They followed him both to the far end of the room, where a small table awaited them in the corner. The table was very nicely decorated with a dark red cloth and a rose and candle in the middle. They took off their cloaks, were seated and then the waiter disappeared, leaving them to look at the menu.

"Draco, thank you for taking me out tonight," Hermione said, lighting the candle with her wand. "It's nice to be out of the castle even though we could get in trouble for this."

"Hermione, relax," Draco answered, looking up from the menu. "Head students are allowed nights out of Hogwarts twice a year. We'll be fine."

He smiled as Hermione stared back confused, not remembering that particular rule before looking at the menu. Draco, however, continued to gaze at her. She was wearing a simple black dress with silver earrings, which sparkled against her loose curly brown hair.

_She looks gorgeous_.

Her chocolate eyes seemed to gleam in delight as she read the menu.

"This all looks really appetising," she told him, her eyes meeting his own.

Draco didn't answer for a moment, lost in his thoughts. How come he had never noticed her beauty before? Why did it take him so long to realise his feelings for her? How could he ever leave her?

_No, I could never leave her. Only an idiot would give her up to follow some foolish prophecy._

He didn't notice the waiter return, pen in hand. "Sir, are you ready to order?"

An hour later, Draco sat quietly eating his dessert, barely listening to Hermione as she spoke to him.

"Draco, what's wrong?" she finally asked. "You haven't said a word all evening."

"Nothing," he lied, playing with his food. In fact, he wasn't very hungry. His mind kept wandering off all evening, inevitably thinking about the future.

"Fine," Hermione muttered, eating vanilla ice-cream.

They both fell silent a few seconds.

"You know," Hermione continued, annoyed. "I thought you were taking me out so we could spend some time together, have a nice dinner but if I knew that you were going to mope like this, then we shouldn't have bothered."

She waited for him to give her an explanation but he gave her none. Sighing deeply, Hermione picked up her spoon and finished off her dessert.

"Haven't you ever wondered what it'd be like if you went someplace else?" Draco gave in to her, finally voicing his thoughts. "Somewhere where no one knows you, where you could pretend to be somebody else?"

Hermione looked up at him in surprise. Her large, brown eyes stared at him, trying to understand his sudden question.

"I've sometimes wished I wasn't part of this war," Hermione admitted slowly. "After last year, I wanted to leave Hogwarts, go somewhere far from all the destruction and fear, but I couldn't. I didn't have the courage and besides, I'm needed here."

Draco fell silent at her words. He felt Hermione reach out for his hand whilst her eyes continued to bore into his own.

"It's no use fleeing Draco," she told him, trying to reassure herself as well. "The war would catch us up wherever we went and if Voldemort won –"

She paused, grasping his hand tightly. "He'd kill us."

"I know," Draco answered deadly serious.

The war was approaching; Draco could feel it. He thought the best way to protect Hermione was to flee. She meant more to him than anything else and he wouldn't let anything happen to her. The only plan he could think of was to leave; disappear into the wilderness with her sometime until the war was over, but she had just torn that to shreds.

_So be it! Whatever happens now, we're in this together till the end._

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* * *

"I'm sorry," Draco said as soon as they were back at Hogwarts in the Heads' common room.

"For what?" Hermione said, sitting herself in the couch.

"For ruining your only night out," Draco admitted, sitting down next to her. He put his arms around her shoulders a she nuzzled herself closer to him. They stayed silent for a while, appreciating each other's warmth until Draco felt Hermione's soft lips on his neck.

"I forgive you," she murmured, continuing her trail of kisses, leading her to his lips where he kissed her back hungrily. She moaned softly against his mouth and then deepened the kiss. Her eagerness made Draco forget all his troubles and he happily gave in to her request. His tongue continued to explore her mouth as she fell back on the couch. She tugged at his shirt, pulling him closer to her as her legs wrapped around his waist. Her fingers roamed through his platinum blond hair making him shiver in pleasure.

_Merlin, she's good!_ he thought as his hand glided under her dress.

"Wait," Hermione whispered, listening out for any noises.

"Is Abigail sleeping in your room again?" Draco asked annoyed, sitting up.

"Yeah," Hermione answered, biting her lower lip. She didn't seem to know what to do next.

"Fuck Abigail," Draco said getting up and holding out his hand for Hermione. "Let's go to my room."

Smiling devilishly, Hermione took his hand and followed him quietly to his room.

A few hours later, Draco woke up in a start.

He'd had a nightmare again and breathed heavily as he took in his surroundings. His eyes finally landed on Hermione sleeping peacefully beside him, naked. The sheets covered her up to her lower back and her exposed pale skin glistened in the moonlight. He watched her sleeping, his eyes roaming over her body, which lifted slightly with every breath she took. It soothed him to watch the girl who had so much faith in him sleep so peacefully. She had opened his heart and now she made him happy.

Feeling his eyelids slowly closing, Draco decided to go back to sleep. Tugging at the sheets, he pulled them over Hermione and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Suddenly, he felt an indescribable pain shot through his arm. He could feel the Dark Mark burning within his skin. Shouting in pain, Draco realised his worst fear had just occurred.

Voldemort was calling him and the intense pain meant that the Dark Lord was very excited.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, waking up from the noise. "What's going on?"

He turned around, his face incredibly pale. "I have to go," he told her deadly serious. "I've just been called, there's going to be a meeting tonight."

He got up grabbing his black clothes from his wardrobe and dressed quickly as Hermione watched him incredulously. Once he was ready, he sat down on the bed, next to Hermione and stared at the confused expression on her face.

"Listen to me Hermione," he began, talking very clearly. "When I'm gone, go to Dumbledore and warn him about the meeting. Voldemort seems very excited tonight and that can only mean one thing - war."

"What do you mean? How can you be so sure?" Hermione argued stumbling out of bed, the sheets wrapped around her. "It all seems very sudden and Harry would have felt it too yet his scar hasn't hurt him for weeks now."

Grabbing his wand and his cloak, Draco turned to face her. "Trust me, Potter must have felt it too," he assured her, slipping on his black hooded cloak. "Now remember what I said. Wait a few minutes after I leave and then go straight to Dumbledore's office. Take your wand with you, you never know."

Hermione nodded silently. Draco looked at her and kissed her gently on the lips before leaving.

"Be careful," he warned her as he left. "Remember Voldemort is after you more than ever now."

"Draco, wait!" he heard her shout behind him and halted. "When will I see you again?"

"After the meeting, I'll come straight back to Hogwarts," he tried to reassure her, although he doubted the Dark Lord would let him leave now before the war started. But Hermione wasn't stupid, she knew he was lying and suddenly she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She ran up to him and pulled him towards her tightly.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered in his ear.

"You won't," he promised her. "We'll see each other again Hermione. So long as you warn Dumbledore, we'll see each other again."

"Please don't go," she cried out faintly, her voice broken with emotion.

"I have to. You knew this day would come Hermione and now you need to warn Dumbledore and prepare for war," he answered her, pulling her away. "We can't flee remember, we have to fight."

Her frightened red eyes looked desperately back at him as he wiped her tears away. He couldn't help but kiss her deeply one last time before he left.

"I'll see you soon," he whispered to her and left the common room.

As he stepped out into the corridor and ran quickly down the flights of stairs, Hermione stood frozen on the spot, looking at the empty space before her.

"I love you, Draco," she whispered after him.

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* * *

As Draco arrived at the meeting point, he could feel the excitement in the air. His fellow Death Eaters, waiting patiently for their master to speak, whispered among themselves as they saw Draco arrive. He made his way through the hall and joined the Dark Lord by his throne. He bowed before him and as he stood up, two shiny red beads stared back at him.

"Come closer my boy," Voldemort ordered.

Draco stepped next to him and felt the Dark Lord's skeletal white fingers claw at his arm.

"It is time," Voldemort hissed in his ear. "It is time for war. I have planned a surprise for that old fool Dumbledore. Tomorrow as soon as all my followers arrive, I will send them to the school."

_All his followers?_ Draco shuddered at the thought of seeing all the beasts and monsters Voldemort had recruited over the years along with Pureblood wizards.

"You shall stay here Draco, with me. I have planned to lure the Potter boy to me, alone. Dumbledore will have too much on his hands to notice his disappearance and the Serpent girl wouldn't dare to intervene this time."

He laughed maliciously seeing the hundreds of followers before him and expecting so many more to come. Draco, keeping a cold expression, also looked at the numbers before him.

_Hogwarts better be prepared._

"My Lord," he inquired, thinking about his plan. "How exactly will you lure Potter here when war will be raging in Hogwarts?"

"If Zabini does not deceive me once more, he shall be here by morning with the girl. We shall use her as bait and make Potter come to me defenseless and alone," Voldemort explained, his red beady eyes twitching with excitement.

"The girl?" Draco asked again, masking his anxiety.

"The Mudblood, of course," the Dark Lord hissed before calling the hall to his attention.

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**Uh oh, that doesn't sound too good...**

**A lot has happened in this chapter and I hope you don't think I went too fast. Anyway, I hope you're glad Hermione finally told Draco she loved him even though he didn't hear her. It really made me happy.**

**Otherwise I'm really excited about the war coming! That sounds creepy...Anyway Voldemort's plan now that I just reread seems really flawed. Well no one wants him to win in the end, right? I won't spoil the last chapters for you so don't ask what will happen next, but I did warn you straight from the beginning that this fiction was a dark one.**

**Review please!**


	33. Hopeless

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his fabulous magical world belong to J., the wealthiest woman in England. We're all just crazy about her books! Other characters are mine, Abigail essentially.**

**Author's Notes: Hello everybody! I hope you all had a happy Easter, I certainly did though I got sick from all the chocolate! I've been reading some really good fics recently and added some in my favourites. I also re-read the end of HP book five for fun and realised how much Bellatrix Lestrange is a bitch! It'll be fun writing about her in the upcoming chapters. I heard Liz Hurley was supposed to her part in the fifth movie, how weird!**

**Anyway on to Chapter 33! It's finally here and it's not a happy one. The chapters are going to get very dark now because of the war! Also I prefer saying this chapter is definitely R-rated due to violence so be warned. Nothing too horrible in my opinion but some of you are underage so I prefer being on the safe side.**

**An extra special thank you to Chas3r, my beta-reader! You're amazing!**

**About the reviews, I LOVE THEM! Thank you to all my faithful readers, you guys rock! I mentioned you all at the bottom. Also I think it's time to ask you all if you would like me to write a sequel to this story. I have a few ideas but I need to know what you think! So tell me over the next few chapters if you think I should write one, thanks.**

**So now on to the story, enjoy!**

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Chapter 33

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Hermione did as Draco told her. She waited at least ten minutes, changing into her clothes before setting off, wand in hand, to see Dumbledore. She couldn't help thinking about Draco, wondering when she would see him again as she walked as quietly as she could down the dark corridors.

Turning around a corner, she spotted Snape and quickly hid behind a stone statue. He walked past her lost in his thoughts, muttering under his breath and Hermione sighed in relief when he was out of view. Apparently Snape was the only professor patrolling the corridors tonight. However she soon realised that Snape should also be at the Death Eater meeting and wondered why he was still at Hogwarts.

Thinking nothing of it, Hermione reached Dumbledore's office and stood before the Phoenix statue, quickly realising that she didn't know the new password. Swearing out loud, she started biting her lower lip, unsure of what to do next.

However, without warning the statue started to swing, revealing the marble staircase and a tall dark figure stood on the bottom steps.

"Harry!" she cried out as soon as she recognised him. "What are you doing here?"

He was still in pyjamas and his tired eyes looked back at her gravely. She hadn't seen him in such a state since last year.

"It's my scar," he said dead serious. "Voldemort's up to something and I had to warn Dumbledore."

"Oh," Hermione muttered, remembering what Draco had said about Harry feeling it too.

"What are you doing?" he asked confused, seeing her still dressed in her clothes. "Were you in the library or something?"

Hermione shifted uneasily, racking her brains to find an excuse. Maybe she should tell him the truth, or at least part of it.

"I was coming back from the library when I saw Dra - Malfoy leave the castle," she told him quickly. "I think it was best to tell the Professor what I saw. There might be a Death Eater meeting tonight."

Harry's eyes opened wide at her words and then he fell into a pensive silence.

"Harry, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, noticing his reddened scar. She still remembered his screams last year when Voldemort sent him hallucinations about Sirius and the Department of Mysteries.

"Hermione," he whispered gravely, making sure nobody else was around, "when I told Dumbledore what I saw, he merely nodded and told me that I needed sleep. He told me to come back tomorrow morning to talk about it."

Hermione smiled back at him. "He's probably right Harry –"

"You don't know what I saw!" he snapped back, his green eyes filled with concern and something Hermione had not seen for a while: fear. His voice angry voice shifted into a quiet whisper as he continued. "I saw war. And Voldemort. I've never seen him so - happy. He was ecstatic. My Occlumency was just useless against him."

Harry gripped her arms tighter as he spoke. "He's sure to win the war and trust me Hermione, if my visions are correct, he probably will."

He paused, fear overwhelming his eyes. "I never knew they were so many!"

Hermione stood still at his words, her eyes opening in shock. Thinking quickly, she realised it was important to reassure Harry first. Putting her hand on his cheek, she forced him to look into her determined chocolate eyes.

"Harry, listen to me," she said quietly but sternly. "We'll make it through. Trust me. Dumbledore also has a vast amount of followers and we _will_ win!"

She saw him breathe heavily and nod at her words. "You need to rest now," she said softly, running a hand through his hair, smiling sweetly. "Dumbledore will take care of everything, I'm sure. Just you worry about being ready to fight when the time comes. Once Voldemort is down, they'll all come down with him."

Harry smiled at her confidence whilst Hermione felt bad lying to him. She knew the Order had lost too many of its members to pose a serious threat and the number of Aurors were insufficient to stop the Dark wizard. But Harry seemed to believe her and that was all that mattered for the moment.

He pulled her into a tight hug and whispered in her ear. "I don't know what I'd do without you or Ron."

Hugging him back, they stayed put for a few seconds in each other's arms, realising they might not be together again for a very long time.

"I need to see Dumbledore," Hermione stated, pulling away from his arms. "You'd better go back to Gryffindor tower before you're caught."

Harry said the password to Dumbledore's office for Hermione and she stepped onto the stairs. She turned to face him and to her surprise, she saw him smile back at her.

"Who said I was sleeping in my bed?" he told her, his eyes shining with mischief.

"Harry!" she called out, flabbergasted but it was too late, the staircase was already closing up. She climbed up the stairs quickly and reaching Dumbledore's office door, she was surprised to find it open.

"Come in, Miss Granger," he greeted her. He was standing by the portraits on his wall, quietly giving out orders to their occupants. He was wearing a deep blue robe and his hands were clutched firmly behind his back.

"Headmaster, I have some important information for you," she blurted out from the doorway.

He smiled gently back at her and went to sit at his desk. "I know," he stated clearly. "Please sit down."

He summoned a chair for her and Hermione quickly sat down thinking how much information she could tell him. She noticed Dumbledore's gaze on her, waiting for her to begin.

Sighing heavily, Hermione spoke out clearly. "Draco sent me to warn you, Professor. He doesn't trust you but he believes you are our only hope to stop Voldemort. He's preparing war right this minute. He has summoned his Death Eaters tonight to do so and Draco is there with him. He told me to warn you it was time to act. We have to be ready to fight soon."

She finished and watched nervously her headmaster's reaction. He looked back at her, his eyes losing their mischievous twinkle and suddenly he looked much older, almost ancient. At that precise moment, he seemed vulnerable and not strong enough to take part in the upcoming war. Looking back frightened, Hermione started to wring her hands. Dumbledore was the only one who gave her hope besides Harry and now his defeated look scared her more than every battle she had previously fought.

"Thank you for telling me, Hermione," he said calmly, standing up.

She stood up, looking at him directly. "Professor Dumbledore," she addressed him gravely, fear in her voice. "Do you – do you think we can win?"

He chuckled softly at her question. "I hope so," he told her. "But now, it depends on so many people that we can never be sure of anything. I have already alerted the Order of Harry's vision and preparations have begun. I will warn Hogwarts' students of the situation tomorrow morning at breakfast. Now I think it is best for you to rest tonight, Miss Granger. You cannot help me more tonight than you have already done.

Hermione nodded.

"Goodnight Hermione and please be careful on your way back, you never know."

Hermione wished him a goodnight in return and left the office, closing the door behind her. She sighed heavily against the door and distinctively heard Dumbledore's voice behind it.

"I regret so much," he spoke in sadness. "So much."

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A very pale Hermione walked quietly Hogwarts' corridors on her way back to her Head quarters. She knew that she probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight with the events taking place. She still couldn't help thinking about Harry's words. Whatever he had seen tonight, it had scared him and Hermione couldn't stop shuddering at the thought of what Voldemort had in store for them.

She thought about the danger Draco was in if Voldemort ever found out that he was a traitor. _If only he had gone to Dumbledore himself!_ Draco could have been a valuable asset to him. She secretly wished that she were with him, by his side and not by herself in these dark and creepy corridors. She needed him with her in these desperate times. Little did she know that her wish would come true.

Climbing up a set of stairs quickly, she heard footsteps behind her. She stopped and listened out to the faint footsteps, catching up with her.

_Oh Merlin!_ She continued to walk up the stairs, pulling out her wand and heard the footsteps distinctively this time.

_Damn it, what do I do?_

Her hand was shaking in fear. It was too dark to confront whomever was following and so her mind came to the only possible conclusion – RUN! Hermione sprinted up the rest of the stairs and rushed down the nearest corridor. She tried not to look behind her to see if she was still being followed. Passing a classroom door, she quickly slipped inside, closing the door quietly and hoping she wouldn't be found. She muttered a spell to lock the door and backed away from it in fear. She rushed behind a row of desks and bent down to hide. She desperately tried to control her heavy breathing, listening out for any noises.

Hermione stifled a gasp as she heard the door creek open slowly and someone walked in.

_"Lumos!"_ a deep voice cried out.

Hermione's eyes opened wide in fear as she saw her stalker's shoes and the hem of his black robes. They were merely a few metres from her.

"Oh Mudblood," the same cold deep voice sang out. "I know you're in here!"

Hermione held her breath as he stepped closer to the desk she was hiding behind.

"My master wants to see you," he chanted, chuckling to himself. His voice instantly rang a bell and Hermione's heart skipped a beat. It was Blaise Zabini.

"There you are!" he called out.

Her Gryffindor courage kicking in, Hermione bounded from her spot and sent a stunning spell at him. Zabini, caught off guard, still managed to deflect it but the distraction gave Hermione enough time to push him as hard as she could. As he fell backwards over a desk, Hermione ran for her life out of the classroom and down the corridor, dodging several spells. She ran down the flights of stairs as fast as she could and turned a sharp corner down the main corridor. Running down another flight of stairs, she found herself in the dungeons.

She continued her race, frantically looking for a place to hide, Zabini hot on her heels. If only she had gone back to Dumbledore's office, she thought, turning another corner. Suddenly, Hermione's heart leapt for joy when she saw light under Snape's office. She reached the door and quickly slipped inside, locking it behind her. Snape, calmly sitting at his desk marking some essays, looked up at her, a mixture of anger and surprise written on his face.

"Miss Granger, what is the meaning of this?" he asked her sharply as Hermione tried to catch her breath.

"Professor, you have to help me!" Hermione cried out, startling Snape by the emergency in her voice. "Zabini is after me and I think he's going to hurt me."

She kept her wand firmly in her hand, eyeing his office door warily. Hopefully now that she was with Snape, Zabini wouldn't come after her anymore.

"I'm afraid that's a bit far-fetched, Miss Granger," Snape retorted, rising from his seat.

"Professor, please believe me, he was running after me and-"

But Snape cut in before she could finish. "No, not that!" he spat out, an evil grin on his face. "I meant me, helping you; a Mudblood."

Hermione gasped at his words, backing away from him. However, she bumped into somebody else behind her. Whipping around, she faced two piercing blue eyes before Blaise knocked her out with a curse.

"Very good, Blaise," Snape congratulated him, seeing an unconscious Hermione's body at his feet.

"Thank you, Professor," he sneered, before levitating the Gryffindor in the air.

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When Hermione finally woke up, it was dark around her. She could feel cold concrete floor lying underneath her. When she opened her eyes fully, everything was dark and creepy. Scared, Hermione sat up and noticed stone walls surrounding her. In front of her, she saw metal bars ahead, imprisoning her. The only source of light came from a small torch, hanging on the wall opposite her cell. There were no windows anywhere.

Forcing herself to stand up, Hermione heard clinking behind her. She turned around and noticed strong metal chains attached to the wall. Following their trail, she finally realised the shackles were tightly grasped around her wrists.

Panicked, Hermione lifted her arms and tried breaking her chains free from the wall. It was useless. She wanted to check the metal bars and the door, see if there was any way she could get out but her chains prevented her from getting too close.

Feeling helpless, Hermione finally sat down and hugged her knees tight. She started crying quietly as she realised that she had been kidnapped and that the following hours weren't going to be pleasant.

An hour later, the tears stopped and she fell asleep again against the wall.

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Hearing the loud clicking of heels against the hard concrete surface, Hermione woke up but kept her eyes closed, just in case. The footsteps stopped in front of her cell and she heard a deep icy voice call out for her.

"Did you sleep well, Mudblood?"

Opening her eyes slowly, Hermione saw a dark-hooded figure facing her across the metal bars.

"Where am I?" she asked him sharply. "What do you want from me?"

The Death Eater chuckled cruelly at her questions. He didn't answer and Hermione wondered who he was as she couldn't see his face. It was hidden under the usual black hood.

"What do you want from me?" Hermione repeated, trying to hide the panic in her voice.

"My Lord wishes to ask you a few questions," he finally answered slyly and she instantly recognised the voice. Lucius Malfoy.

With fear in her eyes, Hermione watched him walk away. "I'll be back later," he told her without a backward glance.

Hermione knew very well what would happen to her if she didn't escape. Few wizards and witches lived to tell the tale. Voldemort wanted whatever information she possessed and he would without a doubt torture her to have it. Feeling panic rise up in her chest, Hermione sprung to her feet and tugged fiercely at her chains in vain. Feeling more and more desperate, she spent a good amount of time checking every stone in the walls, looking out for some sort of escape, a secret passage, anything!

_Oh please!_ Hermione thought to herself, tears forming in her eyes, _please don't let them do this to me!_

But it was too late.

Several Death Eaters entered the dungeons and opened her cell, ready to take her away. Hermione struggled all she could against them, biting, kicking and screaming but she was quickly stunned and taken against her will. They dragged her across the floor, up some stairs and into a dark corridor. They halted at a side door and knocked on it.

"Come in," said a high, cold voice.

Hermione couldn't help holding her breath when she saw Voldemort. His white scaly face was half covered by his hood whilst his long bony spider-like fingers protruded from his robes' sleeves. The stunning spell disappeared and she was dumped in a heap in front of him. Hermione quickly stood up, looking around for an escape but the Death Eaters stood around her, their wands out in case she tried anything.

"You can leave," Voldemort hissed at them. "Stay by the door, I will call for you soon."

Hermione flinched as she heard him but tried her best to remain brave. _Think Hermione, think! How the hell are you going to get out of this one?_ But her mind went numb as she watched Voldemort pull out his wand.

"I only have one question for you, Mudblood," he said dangerously, hatred glinting in his beady red eyes. "Who are the traitors among my ranks?"

His question surprised Hermione. Obviously now there were two traitors and Voldemort probably knew this. Then suddenly it hit her that Snape had helped Blaise capture her. Was he still loyal to Dumbledore or did that mean that he had swapped sides again?

She tried to replace her confused face with an innocent one, but it didn't work.

"I don't know," she lied.

_"Expelliarmus!"_ the Dark Lord muttered, barely lifting his wand.

His spell, on the other hand, caused Hermione to be flung in the air and she crashed brutally against the back wall. She cried out in pain as she tried to pick herself up from the floor.

"Who among my Death Eaters has betrayed me?" he shrieked this time, storming across the room, his wand menacing her with yet another spell. Grasping the wall for help to stand up to her full height, she kept an impassive face.

"Dumbledore never told me," she said firmly, preparing herself for the worst.

At the mention of her Headmaster's name, Voldemort's face contorted into anger.

_"Crucio!"_

Suddenly extreme pain burst through her. It was pain past anything she had ever imagined. Every part of her body screamed for release as she felt herself dying. She didn't notice that she had fallen to the ground or that she was screaming in agony at Voldemort's feet. She only wished for the pain to stop and suddenly it did.

"Don't you ever mention his name in my presence!" he hissed loudly as Hermione breathed heavily, tears streaking down her face.

She had never experienced such pain in her life, such suffering and it angered her. Clawing at the floor, she pushed herself up to her knees and stared back at Voldemort defiantly.

"I expect you to be more cooperative this time, Mudblood," he began, circling around her like a snake. "Now tell me, who are the traitors?"

Two frightening redeyes looked down upon her but Hermione merely smiled. She didn't care what happened to her, she would never betray Draco or even Snape.

"The ones with a heart," she stated sharply, giving a dry laugh.

Two red slits glared down at her.

"Wrong answer."

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Hermione lay sprawled on the ground, at Voldemort's feet. Barely half an hour had gone by, but to her, it had seemed an eternity had passed, a painful eternity of torture. Hermione's body had gone numb with pain and she was sure that her mind would soon likely to cross the border to insanity. It had gone completely blank as she lay on the cold, hard floor, breathing with difficulty.

Voldemort, towering above her, appeared to be enjoying himself. He had admitted, preferring torture than using Legilimency; it was apparently much more fun watching people squirm at his feet. He had used the Cruciatus curse repeatedly on her and now she lay on her side, praying for him to end their session and let her go. It was then, as she lay sprawled hopelessly, at Voldemort's mercy, that she saw him in her mind. He quickly became her only thought, her only hope, her only love.

Draco.

_Draco - help me!_ She thought as hard as she could. _Please – Draco!_

She could feel herself was weakening with every second. She had already passed out several times due to the pain. But now it was different, now she knew she was dying.

"Well, that will be all for today," Voldemort finally stated, calling out for the Death Eaters waiting at the door.

"Take her away!" he ordered them and they instantly went to pick her up. "And make sure she stays alive!"

As Hermione was once again dragged along the floor, her vision began to blur, yet she distinctively heard Voldemort call out for Wormtail.

"My robes have been soiled with filth!" his shriek was heard down the corridors. "Wormtail, where are you?"

She passed out before she heard Voldemort's faithful servant squeak pathetically. "I am here, my Lord."

A few minutes later, Hermione lay up against the wall, her legs stretched out before her in pain. Although she had barely woken up, the first thing she noticed was a tray of food and water lying before her. But she couldn't move. Pain continually shot through her body preventing her from any movement. She noticed that the huge gash on her stomach had been healed as well as her broken leg. That was probably all the Death Eaters had deemed necessary to heal in order for her to be alive until tomorrow. Her arms and legs were still covered in cuts and bruises and if Hermione could have seen her face, she would have gasped in fright.

Her left eye could not open more than half way and had turned a vivid purple colour. Her skin was dreadfully pale from fatigue and pain and was painted red with blood pouring from her broken nose. Her dry upper lip was cut open and inside her mouth, Hermione could feel some wobbly teeth.

Her parents wouldn't be happy.

She stayed leaning against the walls, suffering, her head hanging in defeat. She was so feeble and tired that at that precise moment, if Voldemort had threatened to torture her again, she would have answered his stupid questions. But no one came and so Hermione remained in the same position, growing weaker by the second, waiting. She didn't know if it was night, morning or afternoon. All she cared was for it to be finally over. Whether she died or not, she no longer cared. She was in too much pain, she couldn't take it anymore and besides, she felt abandoned.

She was by herself; Draco had left her by herself.

But suddenly, as if answering her prayers, she heard footsteps coming hurriedly towards her. She realised that Death Eaters had probably come back to get her, to torture her again until she gave in and she would give in, if it meant peace, if it meant that she could finally die.

"Hermione," she heard someone whisper before her.

Lifting her head up slowly, she stared at the person before her. It was a Death Eater. He suddenly lifted his hand and pulled back his hood, revealing white-blond hair and soft gray eyes.

Draco.

Hermione's eyes lit up as soon as she saw him and every dark thought seemed to vanish from her mind.

"Draco," she mumbled, her dry throat causing her to cough violently.

"Merlin, what have they done to you?" he called out quietly, although his hands gripped the metal bars strongly.

"Draco, you're here," her voice croaked in disbelief.

"I'm here, Hermione. I'm here with you," he said softly. Guilt flashed in his eyes as she tried to stand up, only to double over in pain.

"I called for you," she said her voice full of hope. "I called out for you in my thoughts. I thought you didn't care."

Draco shook his head, his hands shaking uncontrollably against the metal bars.

"Of course I care, I'll always look out for you. But you have to be strong, you have to fight them," he whispered gently to her, looking out left and right. "They won't kill you yet, they need you to lure Potter here, into a trap. They're using you as bait."

Hermione nodded her head while he spoke, her eyes full of tears. "Voldemort wants to torture me again," she told him quietly.

"I promise I'll get you out of here, Hermione," Draco tried to reassure, watching her trying to stand up again. This time she was successful. His eyes flashed angrily. "He'll pay for what he did to you."

"Draco, I'm scared," she murmured, taking a step forward, dragging her chains behind her. "I'm scared I won't make it if he tortures me again, I'm scared I might betray you. I don't want to lose you!"

"You won't lose me," he gulped nervously. "It's almost midday and Voldemort is occupied with the war. You'll be safe."

He looked again around him, watching out for anybody else. "I have to go," he said, hearing someone approach. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

She took two bold steps as she heard his words. "No, don't leave me!" she cried out, holding out her hand to him, tears falling freely because of the pain.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he whispered, looking deep in her eyes. "I wish none of this had happened, I wish I could take you away from here."

She took another step, the last one as her chains prevented her from going any further. Her arm was outstretched in front of her, as far as possible.

"I love you, Draco," she breathed out, staring desperately in his troubled stormy gray eyes. Forgetting everything around him, Draco looked back straight into her eyes and stretched out his hand between the metal bars, desperately trying to reach hers.

He missed her by an inch.

"I love you too," he admitted, causing Hermione's heart to jump for joy.

They looked at each other for a while, treasuring their brief moment of happiness. During that moment, Hermione forgot all about her pain, her surroundings and the danger ahead of her and simply lost herself in pools of silver.

Finally, Draco dropped his arm.

"Be strong," he pleaded, backing away from her cell and putting his hood back on. "I'll get you out soon."

Watching him leave seemed even worse than torture, but his presence and reassuring words had restored Hermione's hope and courage. Draco loved her and it gave her strength. Whatever Voldemort did to her now, she would keep silent.

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**Yay! They finally admitted their love! I admit the circumstances were extreme but I love the whole tension and drama, it really gets to me! I hope you enjoyed it and it made you at least a bit sad because I tried my best! I loved writing this chapter, Draco/Hermione are the best! And not making them able to touch each other is simply agonising! Lol**

**Next chapter is the last Abigail POV chapter! Only 5 chapters left! I won't reveal anything from now on…**

**Please review, your thoughts and feelings help me when writing and I enjoy them so much!**

**Thank you's for both chapter 31 and 32:**

**kriCket oX **(Hey, your review was brilliant, it reflected exactly what I'm trying to convey about Malfoy! He's a dark character and though he loves Hermione, you're never sure what he thinks.), **girl88** (I'm glad you liked the romance and the fact that they didn't get caught, Hermione was real sweet to Draco in this chapter, hope you liked it!), **Lysnter89** (Hope you liked the interaction in this one, I'll try and read your fics soon!), **LadySnake, hpcrzyfb** (It's so cool that you support Harry/Abigail romance, there's loads of angst and love in the next chappie!), **Kuroi Tsuki Jyurian** (Feel free to email me, it'd be fun! Thanks for the reviews!), **wuthie** (When I write this fic, I think about of it as a movie, it's easier to picture things.), **JTfanaddict** (I hope this chapter didn't freak you out too much as Hermione gets hurt! But sexy Draco's there to save the day, non?), **dracocrazyem** (I finally asked people about the sequel. Hope you enjoyed Draco and Hermione saying I love you! Thanks for your reviews, I love them!), **dracosgirl2515 **(I love Draco too! I can't tell whether he'll be good or bad in the end but he seemed determined to save Hermione! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.), **warky** (I won't spoil anything but I do have a hard time killing off characters! Draco's prophecy is pretty harsh but I love how Abby has no sympathy for him. I agree, Blaise is hot but the biggest pain in the ass! He kidnapped Hermione after all! Hope you liked it!), **May** (Yay! Someone who understands how much work uni represents! Glad you liked the previous chapters!), **Alenor, Malfoy's Angel **(Draco didn't save Hermione from torture but maybe he'll save her from death. I can't tell if it will turn out bad though, hope you enjoyed the angst!),** Pippin1177, Wanna-B-Dracos-Girl, tomfeltonlover1400, D.r.a.c.o.s.H.e.r.m.o.s.O, Mariann, Eriador, EvilStrawberry, GooseyCorsair, jonadark, Burning trust, jackslittlefriend, Alexis, roguish muse, Draco'scheerbunny, Professional Toilet Flusher, HogwartsHunni, nightmistrie, twinklerbell23, Blondie Vixen, Angel's-Faith, rat-gal2000, dark rose, Juicy-Fuit for Drako, Senya Lady of the Serpents and serendipity x **

**Thank you all so so much for reviewing! I love you all!**


	34. The Calm Before

**Author's Notes:** **I'm so sorry about the delay! But chapter 34 is finally here and believe me, its a VERY LONG CHAPTER! Actually, it's the longest I've ever written, 16 pages! I hope you're all excited about the next few chapters because I certainly am! There's action, angst, love, darkness death and a lot of twists and turns. You'll understand when you read this one. **

**It's Abby's last chapter and so I made her go through loads of stuff. After that, back to Draco and Hermione... nuff said!**

**Thank you to all my fabulous reviewers! Special shout outs to Jtfanaddict, Malfoy'sAngel, tomfeltonlover1400, Chewy518, if-666, warky, girl88, May (thank you for reviewing my one-shot! I'm sorry I didn't thank you earlier. I was feeling really homesick at the time when I wrote that story, depressive fanfic ideas just kept popping in my mind.), gozde, KriCket xO, LadySnake, D.r.a.c.o.H.e.r.m.o.s.O, nightmistrie, dracosgirl2515, roguish muse, GooseyCorsair, Alenor, Pippin1177, starangel 24, kate and BrownEyedQT715 **

**Plus a special shout out to Chas3r my beta-reader!**

**You guys rock! Now onto the story which you've all been waiting for...**

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Chapter 34

* * *

Abigail didn't want to wake up. She kept her eyes firmly shut although she could feel the warm rays of the sun of her face. Instead, she wiggled closer to Harry, resting her head on his chest. His strong arms enveloped her tightly and suddenly she had a strange feeling in the back of her mind, telling her that Harry was in danger.

She pushed the thought away and smiled brightly as she thought of the previous day.

**********************..~**~..**

"He won't even look at me, Gin!" Abigail cried out, playing nervously with her hair.

Ginny and Hermione had both finished classes early and the two Gryffindors had joined Abby in the Head's common room. They were still wearing their uniforms whereas Abby wore black jeans with a pink T-shirt. She still wasn't attending classes. Abigail had told her friends how her day had been terrible, because Harry had completely ignored her all day. She had left her meeting with Malfoy concerning the prophecy out of the conversation. It was best that they didn't know.

"You have to give him time, Abby," Hermione explained once more, her eyes never leaving her homework.

"I'm going to kill Blaise and all those bloody Slytherins one of these days!" Abigail exploded in rage. "Those idiots are going to pay!"

She stood up on her feet as she spoke and pacing furiously around the room. Ginny looked at her with concern whilst Hermione barely lifted her head up.

"That's exactly what I'd like to see you do," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Abby snapped, whipping around to face her.

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Ginny butt in. "She'd get expelled."

"Well isn't that better than hiding from them for the past two days? " Hermione continued, facing them. "Abby, seriously, it's time you confronted your problems. Being possessed by a dark wizard must have been the most frightening experience and yet you act as if nothing happened. You need to talk about it, you can't shut yourself out forever. Why do you avoid every attempt I've made so far to talk about the possession and your mother –"

Abigail stopped dead in her tracks.

"I don't need this right now," she snapped quickly, grabbing her cloak.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Ginny, watching her, stunned.

"Are you coming, Gin?" she asked impatiently. "I'd like to have a bit of fun on my birthday instead of listening to the crap coming out of Hermione's mouth. She obviously doesn't know what she's talking about."

Striding across the room, as Ginny slowly stood up, Abigail opened the common room door but suddenly came face to face with green eyes.

"Hey," Harry greeted her nervously, running a hand through his messy hair. "Can we talk?"

Before Abby could answer, Ginny slipped past her, her eyebrow raised in interest. "I'll see you later guys."

She started walking away and Abigail clearly saw her mouth behind Harry's back, "Be nice!"

"Er - come in," Abby said hesitantly, stepping aside. She followed Harry back in the common room and seeing Hermione was still there revising, she led him to Hermione's bedroom. Harry stepped into the room and quickly closed the door behind.

"Um – what did you want to talk about?" Abigail dared to ask, sitting on the bed.

Harry stood before her, his hands in his pockets. Abigail was surprised to see him looking at her so intently when he had previously ignored her.

"Abigail, what I learnt about you yesterday hurt me - a lot," he began, stepping closer. "I didn't know how to take it and so I preferred to be left alone to think."

Abigail nodded, lowering her eyes as he spoke. She felt so embarrassed and ashamed to have hurt him. His eyes were filled with pain, something Abigail had sworn never to see again. It killed her even more that she was the cause of it.

"I've been thinking about it ever since and I've realised a few things," he continued, looking down at her. "The war is coming and I can't continue to ignore you. If anything happens to one of us, I'll regret not having said this earlier."

Abigail suddenly felt his hand on her cheek. He lifted her head, forcing her to look into his bright emerald eyes. "I forgive you," he whispered softly. "I know it wasn't your fault and that you had no control. Today, I felt so lonely - I missed you and I don't want to spend another second without you."

Abigail felt her heart skip a beat.

"Harry," she gasped, staring into his eyes. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. I know, you don't need all these troubles right now, I'm sorry."

She hugged him tightly, not believing that he would forgive her so soon.

"I have something else to say," Harry said, a smile lingering on his lips.

Pulling away, Abigail looked at him seriously, surprised to see him smile.

"I know it's your birthday today so I got you something," he told her, taking out a small box from his pocket.

"Are you serious?" Abigail cried out, seeing the box. "This is insane! Forgiving me is enough already, I don't deserve this."

"Open it," Harry urged her, holding out the box to her. Slowly Abigail took it and opened it. Inside, laid a silver bracelet in the form of a snake. It was very simple, but beautiful.

"Hermione helped me transfigure it," Harry explained nervously. "Do you like it?"

Abigail, who hadn't said a word yet, continued to stare at the bracelet.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, trying the bracelet on. "Thank you so much."

"Your welcome," Harry murmured. He lifted her chin and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I have to go, I have Quidditch practice."

Abigail nodded. "I'll see you after dinner then."

After Harry had left for Quidditch practice, Abigail went into the common room and saw Hermione still sitting at the desk working. She lifted her head intrigued and smiled as she saw the silver bracelet around Abigail's wrist.

"So?" she asked intrigued.

"He forgives me," Abigail replied, bewildered, looking out from the window. She could see the Gryffindor team training on the Quidditch pitch. "He said he completely understood and wants to be with me again."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Hermione asked, seeing her expression.

"He didn't forgive because he understood," she said looking down at the bracelet. "He felt obliged to make up with me because of the war. He thinks something might happen and then it'll be too late."

Sighing deeply, Abigail went back into her room, lost in her thoughts. She needed a cigarette.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

A few hours later, after dinner, Abigail sneaked back into the common room with Harry. She didn't want to see either Hermione or Malfoy after they had told her off about smoking. Abigail knew she had gone too far when she argued back but it was worth seeing their faces when she had said that Malfoy wanted to get laid.

"Where are they?" Harry asked confused, as they went to Hermione's bedroom.

"Probably doing Head duties," she answered vaguely. "Who cares? Anyway I think its best they don't know you're here. Hermione would kill me!"

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed, falling onto the bed. "Merlin! I'm so tired after that Quiddditch practice!"

Abigail put some Muggle music on and sat beside him.

"Need a massage, Potter?" she drawled in his ear.

"You any good?" he asked sarcastically.

Hitting his arm, she tried to get up from the bed but two strong arms held her back and made her fall again. Screaming and laughing, Abigail fought against Harry, playfully trying to get out of his grasp until he finally climbed on top of her and held her arms down on either side of her head.

"Okay, okay I give up!" she said breathing heavily.

Harry laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Abigail blushed suddenly realising that he was on top of her. Almost immediately, he bent down and kissed her. His tongue glided across her lips begging for entrance and Abigail obliged, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She suddenly realised how much she had missed him over the past few days. His hand kept hold of her wrist firmly, whilst the other one slid down to her thigh. Abigail slipped her free hand in his hair, pulling him closer on top of her. She kissed him with urgency, moaning against his lips as she felt his hand gradually slither under her pink T-shirt. She felt her insides burn with passion, as his hand roamed freely across her chest.

His kiss suddenly trailed down to her neck, where he sucked hard and long on her soft spot. Abigail had to bit her bottom lip, to prevent herself from whimpering.

_Oh Merlin! How does he do that?_

Her legs instantly wrapped themselves around his waist, causing him to groan and she felt him getting hard. He broke away from her neck only to stare into her glittering dark eyes, which betrayed the debate going on in her mind.

"Harry, I think we should stop," she finally suggested, freeing her hand from his.

He sat up, looking annoyed. "What? Why?"

"Are you still – Is this your first time?" she asked him quietly.

She watched as his eyes suddenly became unfocused and he brushed his messy black hair back.

"Harry," she said softly, sliding closer to him. "I don't want us to rush into anything just because of the war."

He sighed deeply as she spoke. Seeing his frustration, she put her hand on his cheek, comfortingly.

"Trust me," she explained, trying to catch his gaze. "You don't want to rush into this and mess it up. Believe me, I regret that my first time happened the way it did."

His eyes suddenly locked with hers. "What do you mean?" he asked seriously.

Abigail took in a deep breath. "I rushed it. I was drunk, I didn't think it'd be such a big deal. But in the end, it was really horrible and now I regret it."

She smiled gently, hoping he'd understand. "You know," he began, pulling her closer to him. "Once this is all over, I think we should disappear from the wizarding world for a while. Take a holiday on a desert island far away from here with palm trees and miles of sandy beaches. At least then you'll be all mine and we could finally do whatever we want."

She laughed softly, kissing him lightly. "That sounds great."

"I guess I'd better go then," he said getting up.

"No," she pleaded, pulling him back on the bed with her. "You can still stay with me tonight."

He cracked a smile and kissed her back hungrily.

**********************..~**~..**

A few hours later, Abigail woke up hearing Harry scream.

Switching on the light, she saw him clutching his head, tears streaming down his face.

"Harry, Harry!" she shouted, trying to wake him up.

His eyes opened wide and he clutched his scar in pain. "My - scar - burning me!" He managed to cry out, falling out of bed, still clutching his head. He writhed in pain, breathing heavily trying to fight the pain.

Suddenly, it ceased and Abigail looked down at his panting figure, afraid.

"It's stopped," he stated, standing up with difficulty. He grabbed his wand and muttered a few healing spells for his head. "I'd better see Dumbledore. He'll want to know about this. Stay here, I'll be right back."

Abigail stayed awake, fearing what Harry's sudden burning scar meant. She waited patiently for him to return.

An hour later, he was back looking extremely tired.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"I'm fine," he yawned, slipping back into the bed. "Let's go back to sleep."

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"Morning," Abigail heard him whisper in her ear. She opened her eyes against her will and looked at him smiling brightly.

"Time for breakfast," he stated, kissing her softly on the head, before getting out of bed.

"What did Dumbledore say?" she asked quickly, not bearing his silence.

Harry turned around, his smile faded from his face. "He said I needed sleep and that he'd take care of everything. Don't worry about it," he reassured her.

Abigail didn't feel reassured though and watched him get dressed, thinking. She frowned as she saw his well-defined body in black boxers. "Since when have you been so muscular?" she asked, opening her eyes wider.

He laughed. "Since I train for Quidditch. You know... we do train four times a week, three hours per session and –"

"Yeah, okay, I get it," she said smiling, getting up too.

"Listen, I'd better go back to Gryffindor tower before breakfast," he said, finishing putting his clothes back on. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

"See you later," she called after him, kissing him gently.

As soon as he left, Abigail noticed an owl pecking at the window, waiting to be let in. She opened the window and took the parchment off its leg. She didn't recognise the owl and so immediately opened the letter, sensing it was urgent.

What she read, she did not expect.

_We have your Mudblood cousin. Don't try to save her or intervene in the war if you wish to see her alive again. Serpents cannot choose sides in this war. You are warned._

Abigail gasped, dropping the letter as if it had burnt her hand. The owl flew away having accomplished its mission.

Running out of the room, she quickly went to Draco's bedroom but found it empty.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail rushed down to the Great Hall, trying to find Harry. As soon as she reached the doors, she saw Hogwarts students chatting animatedly among themselves. Suddenly, she spotted Ginny running towards her.

"Abby," she cried out. "Did you hear? Dumbledore wants everyone in the hall this morning. He has something important to tell us."

Ginny gulped nervously as she saw Abigail's pale face. "Do you think it's war?"

"Harry's scar was burning him pretty badly last night," she told her quietly, deciding not to mention the letter.

She was then forced to leave her friend and make her way to the Slytherin's table as prefects asked everyone to settle down. No one seemed to have noticed Malfoy's nor Hermione's absence. Abby received a few glares as she sat down among her housemates. As she had predicted some Slytherins, faithful to Voldemort, must have heard about her previous confrontation with the Dark Lord and her narrow escape. She preferred to keep her head turned to the staff table.

She instantly noticed that many professors were absent including Snape, Hagrid and McGonagall. And then, Dumbledore rose from his high-backed golden chair in the middle of the staff table and silence fell upon the hall.

"My dear students," he began gravely, looking out from behind his half-mooned spectacles. All eyes were fixed on him as he announced the dreaded news. "I am afraid that the time has come. The time to fight for what you believe in has come. I have received news last night as well as this morning that Voldemort has planned to attack Hogwarts school tonight."

At his words, the Hall broke out in gasps, shouts and whispers. Some of the first years even began to cry. As Dumbledore continued his speech about defending the castle and fighting for freedom, Abigail's eyes scanned the room, searching for a certain green-eyed boy. She finally saw him and locked eyes with him within seconds.

_Oh Merlin! It's too soon!_

She then looked around and realised the seriousness of the situation. Dumbledore had gathered around him all the remaining professors and all the prefects, giving out orders to everyone as the other students remained seated, looking terrified, gulping nervously or simply crying.

"Now is the time to act," Dumbledore concluded. "We have many advantages on our side and I believe with everyone's courage and force put together we can win."

At his words, several Slytherins stood up and discreetly left the room. Obviously they had no intention of fighting on the good side. No one seemed to notice though as preparations for war continued and prefects went around the tables trying to comfort the youngest ones and giving out Dumbledore's orders to the others.

Sighing deeply and shaking her head, Abigail also walked out of the hall. They were all going to die.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

Abigail spent the rest of the day outside in the cold, wrapped in her cloak, sitting beside the lake as the students buzzed inside the castle. What was she going to do now? She couldn't help in the war but she also needed to leave Hogwarts before Voldemort's army arrived.

Where would she go?

Home. She would go home.

A voice inside her head told her it wasn't right to abandon everyone but she quickly silenced it, remembering the letter this morning. If she helped Dumbledore, Voldemort would know and Hermione would die. She couldn't let that happen, she wouldn't choose sides; she would go home.

_You can't leave_, the voice told her in the back of her head. _Since when do you follow the rules, since when have you become such a coward?_

_Oh please!_ Abigail thought to herself. _As if the students have a chance to win against hundreds of Death Eaters and other foul creatures! They should all flee before it's too late!_

She had made a decision and now it was time to leave. But as she got up, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She knew he would eventually find her. She also knew what he was about to ask her.

"It's time," Harry said, standing behind her.

She took a deep breath, ready for the unavoidable and spun around to face him.

"Time for what?" she stated sharply. Harry frowned. He had changed from his school uniform into dark jeans and a black hoodie, along with his Gryffindor black cloak, billowing in the wind.

"Time for war!" he reminded her, his eyes dancing with excitement. "The school's gone wild, the Order is ready and everybody's ready to fight!"

Abigail shook her head at him. "Everybody's ready?" she repeated slyly, giving a small chuckle. "What – to die?"

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "What's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me? I'm just being realistic, Harry!" she cried out, trying to make him understand. "You're going to lead Hogwarts students to massacre!"

"I'm not staying at the castle," he said sternly, throwing a piece of parchment in her hand. "I'm going to save Hermione."

"What?" Abigail asked bewildered, reading the letter.

_We have your Mudblood friend. If you want to her back alive, you know where to find us. You have until sunset._

"I need _you_ at Hogwarts to lead the students," Harry finished, looking expectantly at her.

"I got the same letter this morning. They asked me to stay out of the war or they would kill Hermione," she said seriously, sitting back down. "I have no intention of disobeying."

"You're not going to fight?" Harry stated deadly serious.

"You think you're ready to fight?" she bit back, holding his angry gaze. "You think you're ready to kill Voldemort? Can you even kill anyone, Harry?"

"I don't know, but I'll soon find out," he said honestly.

"You're an idiot."

Her words caused something to snap inside of Harry. His stare became a dangerous one and she suddenly felt his power overwhelm her.

"But at least I'm trying!" he lashed out at her."What have you done Abby, that's so brilliant these past days? Huh? What gives you the right to criticise my actions when you've been absorbed in self-pity these last few days?"

Abigail was up on her feet in a flash. "Shut the fuck up, Potter!" she barked back, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I saved you from self-pity, you prick!"

"Yeah and now I'm actually ready to do what you helped me with. I'm going to kill Voldemort whether you're with me or not!" he shouted in her face, his eyes blazing with anger.

Abigail had never seen him so mad or determined before. She expected him to walk off and leave her alone but he didn't. He stood firmly in front of her, apparently battling with his mind. Abigail's heart was racing while her mind was going through all sorts of emotions. How could she leave Harry to die? Why couldn't she bring herself to help him? Why had she let her fear control her for so long?

"I want you by my side," Harry continued with conviction.

"What, as a miserable sidekick?" Abigail sneered, wishing she could stop the aching in her head and find a solution to the war.

"No, because you gave me hope again, you gave me confidence again and I need you by my side. I'm not blind, I know what you've done for me over the months but I still need you. You're the best weapon we've got along with Dumbledore."

"Oh, so you need my powers then not me!" she retorted, deliberately making it difficult for him.

"No!"

His eyes were betraying his internal battle and Abigail secretly wondered what he was hesitating to say.

"Then what are you trying to say?" she shouted in exasperation, her hands on her hips.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Abby, I – I need you because I love you," he admitted, staring into her bewildered dark eyes.

Abigail's heart suddenly stopped racing. She felt paralysed. She should have leapt for joy, she should have kissed him right there and then but instead, she stood still, staring back into his desperate green eyes.

"Help me?" Harry pleaded softly, taking her hand. "Please?"

His emerald eyes begged her as they both knew what would happen to him if she didn't. Harry was far from stupid. He also knew the outcome of the war but he was too brave to admit it. He would rather die than admit defeat and flee.

_Bloody Gryffindor courage! _she thought angrily before remembering that she was the one who had helped him find it. Deep inside, Abigail wanted to help him, more than anything. But fear still clung to her and the thought that she might witness his death terrified her.

"I can't," she admitted in shame. "It's too late. Didn't you see what the Slytherins did to me? I'm too scared Harry, I won't go through that again."

It was then that Abigail realised that she had to break his heart.

"I just can't help you!" she said desperately. "I'm not allowed to choose sides! I'll lose my powers, I'll lose everything!"

Harry suddenly dropped her hand. "No," he answered bitterly. "I would have been there for you, just like I thought you would be here, for me."

He walked away hurriedly towards the Forbidden Forest before she could stop him. They both knew it was too late for that anyway. Her heart caught in her throat, Abigail felt the tears falling freely down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed out after him, the image of his pained face stuck in her mind. It was to be the last time she would see Harry, she was certain of it. He was going to die and she wouldn't be there to save him.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

With a heavy heart, Abigail walked slowly back to the castle and made her way to the Head's common room without being seen. She had to get her belongings and leave the castle before the Death Eaters arrived, which didn't leave her much time.

The sun would set in half an hour. As she reached Hermione's room, she opened her trunk and started throwing her things inside. She blocked every thought out of her mind and focused only on her packing. She thought she could leave without a struggle; she was wrong.

As she was collecting her things, Ginny burst through the door.

"There you are!" she shouted in frustration. "Hermione and Harry are missing and it's driving everyone mad! We have to find them before –"

She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the trunk half-packed.

"What's going on?" she asked, pointing to the trunk.

"I'm leaving," Abby answered coolly, throwing her CDs in.

"WHAT?" Ginny cried out in disbelief. "The school's about to be attacked by Voldemort's army and you're leaving?"

"I'm not allowed to choose sides, I'm a Serpent," Abigail stated clearly, continuing to pack.

"What? But that's bullshit!" Ginny shouted, closing the lid of the trunk in anger. "You've been siding with us all year!"

Abigail narrowed her eyes at Ginny as she slammed the trunk shut. She then sat on Hermione's bed and raised an eyebrow, remaining silent.

"Where's Harry?" Ginny inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Voldemort's hideout. He's gone to save Hermione who's been kidnapped. He thinks he's ready to confront Voldemort but he's fallen into the most obvious trap in the world."

Ginny barely flinched as she heard what had happened to Hermione. "Why aren't you with him then?" she remarked loudly, keeping her fiery eyes locked on Abigail's dark ones.

"I already told you," Abigail said stubbornly.

"No, I'm not Harry. I want the real reason."

Ginny was the queen of stubbornness after all. Abigail remained silent, looking away. "Hermione was right about you. You let your fear overwhelm you and now you're stuck. You're too scared to do anything and so you hide behind your sorry excuses. You're pathetic!"

Ginny's words cut Abigail like a knife. She snapped her head up and glared at the Gryffindor.

"Don't mess with me Weasley! I'm still a Serpent after all," she said dangerously, taking out her wand.

"No, you're not!" Ginny shouted back, stepping closer to the bed. "Abigail Serpent was the girl who rescued Hermione from the Slytherins time and time again without hesitation. She braved her own house again when she became friends with Gryffindors and fell in love with Harry Potter. Hell, she never even hesitated to confront Malfoy, a well known Death Eater."

Ginny took another step forward, her voice softening. "She was so worked up on being powerful and following her mother's footsteps that she forgot to take care of herself. And then, when her mother got sick, she didn't hesitate to punch Malfoy, insult Snape, kill a Death Eater and threaten the darkest wizard of all times."

Abigail stood still as Ginny spoke before suddenly sprinting for the door. She couldn't listen to her friend anymore, she had to get away from her as quickly as possible. she didn't realised that Ginny was telling her exactly what she needed to hear.

Once she reached the door, Ginny quickly locked it.

"Let me out!" she screamed but the Gryffindor took no notice of her.

"Abigail Serpent saved my life, she saved Hermione's life, she helped Harry Potter better than anyone else and she's my friend. She's the bravest, most hot-headed and stubborn person that I've ever met and one thing's for sure - she never let anyone scare her or walk over her, not even Voldemort."

Suddenly, Abigail whipped around to face Ginny, tears falling down her face.

"But I was hurt countless times. I lost my mother and before I could even recover I lost my dignity. When I was possessed I was practically raped, Ginny! Malfoy even tortured me on Voldemort's orders! It's too much! Do you understand? It's just too much, I can't take it anymore!"

Ginny continued to stare angrily at her. Why did she look as if she was about to slap Abigail?

"Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble Abby, but I do understand your pain," the red-haired said flatly. "I was possessed by Tom Riddle no less when I was only eleven years old and I lost my brother Charlie last year. I understand the fear and pain you're feeling right now. But I pulled through, I refused to cry and do you know why? Because I knew that that son of a bitch would pay for all the suffering he caused. I knew one day Harry would kill him."

Abigail watched her stunned. Of course, Ginny had been through the same pain and Abigail had never even realised. She thought no one could understand her, she felt so lonely but all this time, Ginny had been right by her side.

"Today's the day, Abby. Today, Voldemort will finally pay for his crimes but for that, Harry's needs your help."

She paused.

"Do you love him?" she asked.

"Yes," Abigail answered quietly.

"Then I know you won't let him die. You won't flee like a selfish, pathetic little –"

"Alright, enough," Abigail cut in, moving away from the door. "You're right, I am fucking scared but that never stopped me before. I'm a crazy witch who never played by the rules and maybe it's time to find out just how extreme I can be."

She let out a deep sigh, feeling her hands still shake with fear but pulled her friend into a hug instead. "Merlin, Ginny! Thank you for opening my eyes, I'm sorry I'm such a slow learner."

She felt Ginny's arms hug her tighter as she spoke.

"You can do this, Abby," her friend whispered in her ear. "But don't let the fear overtake you."

Abigail slowly pulled away and nodded. "Take care, Gin. Remember once Voldemort is down, hopefully the Death Eaters will flee Hogwarts and you'll all be safe."

She squeezed Ginny's hand before turning back for the door. "Good luck."

A single tear fell on Ginny's cheek as the Slytherin ran out of the room, wand in hand.

Abigail ran quickly down the flights of stairs and arrived in the main hall where she ran past by Dumbledore and halted.

"Harry's gone after Voldemort by himself. He went to save Hermione who was kidnapped," Abigail said quickly, breathing heavily. "I'm going to help him. I guess you already know about Draco."

She looked up and noticed Dumbledore's eyes twinkle in delight. "Good luck, Miss Serpent."

She nodded and ran out of the castle, in the darkness towards the Forbidden Forest. Suddenly she heard a voice call out her name behind.

"Ron, what are you doing here?" Abigail said turning around. "Go back inside the castle."

"No!" he cried out, stunning her for a moment. "I heard what you said to Dumbledore and I want to help. My two best friends are in danger and I want to help them! They would have done the same for me."

She paused noticing his determined face. Even if she said no, Ron would probably follow her to Voldemort's hideout. "I can't prevent you from saving your friends," she told him seriously. "I just hope you're aware of the danger we're about to face."

"Let's go," Ron said, waving her comment away.

"Wait," she stopped him, pointing her wand at him. "_Protego Leo!_"

A dark green light enveloped Ron and nodding in satisfaction, Abigail cast _"Protego Alexia!"_ on herself.

"It's the strongest protection I can give you. With a bit of luck, it'll protect you against an Unforgivable curse at least once," she explained, before making her way into the forest.

"Thanks," Ron called out, following her trail.

They silently made their way to the forest clearing and stood in the centre.

"Here we go," Abigail said with excitement. "Hold my hand."

Ron looked at her outstretched hand and frowned. "What are you going to do?"

"We need to apparate into the mansion directly. It's got heavy anti-apparation spells so the only way to get in is for me to apparate us there."

Ron narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you kidding? Side apparation with anti-apparition spells? That's not possible. I thought you knew –"

Rolling her eyes, Abigail grabbed his hand before he could finish and they disappeared with a loud pop.

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

"Bloody hell!" Ron said as he realised what Abigail had just done. "How did you do that?"

"Family secret," she whispered, holding out her wand. With a flick of her wrist and a muttered spell, she was no longer wearing Muggle clothes but her dark green robes, with her family emblem embroidered in gold in the back. They had apparated in the corridor by the door leading to the dungeon cells where Hermione was surely kept.

"Stay here," she ordered Ron. "Hex anyone who comes round the corner."

Ron nodded and she opened the door as quietly as possible. Catching the glimpse of black robes, Abigail burst through the door and stunned the first Death Eater. There were only two wizards guarding the cells and she quickly stunned the other one before he had time to react. She looked through their robes and quickly found Hermione's wand. She levitated the two Death Eaters into an empty cell, put body binds around them and locked the metal cage.

Walking past the other cells, she looked around for Hermione. All the cells were empty and Abigail suddenly felt a knot in her stomach, thinking maybe she was too late. She rushed to the last cell and saw a small figure, clapped in iron chains.

"Hermione?" she asked, breaking the lock open.

Abigail summoned Ron through her thoughts and quickly went by Hermione's side. The Gryffindor looked awful and extremely weak. She realised it was the third time she found someone she loved in such a pitiful state because of Voldemort. She grabbed the cup of water from the food tray and helped Hermione drink.

"Abby?" the girl asked, feeling slightly better.

"We've come to save you and Harry," Abigail said quickly, getting rid of her chains.

"Harry's here?" Hermione asked afraid, taking her wand back.

"Yes, he got a letter from Voldemort and decided to come and rescue you," Abigail explained angrily, healing every cut and bruise she could find on the Gryffindor's frail body.

_What have they done to her?_ Abigail thought, remembering how she had found her father in a similar condition.

"But isn't that the most obvious trap in the world?" Hermione retorted, no longer in pain.

"That's what I said," Abigail muttered under her breath as Ron arrived running.

"Hermione, are you alright?" he asked, hugging his friend.

"Ron! I'm so glad you're here!" she admitted, smiling brightly.

"Ron, take care of Hermione. Make sure all her wounds are healed," Abigail told him, casting spells on the food in the tray.

"Here, eat this," she said, holding out a piece of bread and a plate of beans to Hermione. "You'll feel much better after and in perfect condition to fight. I'll call you guys as soon as things get complicated. Try not to get caught."

Rushing out of the cell, Abigail made her way out of the room and back into the corridor. She looked around and seeing that it was empty she continued to walk. After stunning half a dozen Death Eaters and walking down several corridors and rooms, Abigail felt positively lost. She was looking for the flight of stairs leading to the Great Hall where Voldemort and Harry surely were but didn't want to apparate there blindly.

Suddenly, she heard someone screaming and turned around, following the noise. She opened a door and finally found a flight of stairs leading to the ground floor. She stepped quietly up the stairs and once again heard the horrifying screams above her.

Abigail froze on the spot.

It was Harry.

Finally reaching the top, Abigail came face to face with a door that lead to the Great Hall. Hearing Harry's screams again, Abigail grabbed the handle and slipped inside quietly. Straight ahead of her, Voldemort was sitting on his throne in the middle of the hall on a platform. Malfoy stood next to him in black robes. His hair shone like a halo in the middle of the dark hall. A few hooded Death Eaters were dispersed in a semi-circle around a motionless Harry, who lay in front of them, sprawled on the stone floor. A puddle of blood surrounded him.

No one seemed to have noticed her presence yet. Without a second thought, Abigail made her way to Voldemort, her blood boiling inside as she took in the sight before her. Seeing Hermione was already enough to make her mad but now as she saw Harry, something inside of her snapped.

"If you thought kidnapping my cousin would prevent me from intervening in the war, then you're not as smart as I thought," she stated loud and clear, walking down the hall, her robes trailing behind her. She kept her eyes locked with Voldemort's beady red eyes, who had already noticed her presence. The others, however, brandished their wands as they suddenly saw her.

"You've murdered my mother, tortured my father, caused Salazar Slytherin to possess me, tried to kill me and my friends several times and generally pissed me off!" she continued, glaring at him murderously. She stopped in front of Harry, protecting him from further harm. Voldemort sat still as his Death Eaters shifted nervously next to him.

"What do you think you are doing, Serpent?" he hissed loudly, causing everyone's blood to run cold.

But Abigail's blood was boiling with rage. At that instant, nothing he could say or do would cause her to be afraid.

"I'm choosing sides!" she announced, brandishing her wand, a silver bracelet dangling from her wrist.

"_STUPEFY!_" she shouted, stunning the closest Death Eater. Her shield protected her from the curses the other three sent her and she managed to stun another two hooded black figures. A red light hit her in the chest as the last Death Eater tried to kill her. Fortunately, the spell bounced off her shield and hit her aggressor back.

He dropped dead.

"_Accio wand!_" Voldemort hissed, causing Abigail's wand to fly out of her hand and into his bony spider-like fingers. Within seconds, a couple of Death Eaters emerged from the same door she had come through and held her firmly by the shoulders. Abigail tried to fight against them, her anger back in full but the wizard on her left twisted her arm forcefully causing her to fall on her knees and cry out in pain.

"How foolish!" Voldemort said in high, cold voice. "I will deal with you later. First of all, it's time for Harry Potter to die!"

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**The real battle happens in next chapter! I know you're all thinking, what about Draco? Why doesn't he help? Well, will Draco help Abby or will he stick with Voldemort? This was Abby's last brave attempt to save Harry but even her magic has its limits...**

**Don't you simply want to murderher when she refuses to help Harry? That whole scene has been plotting in my head since the beginning and I'm glad it turned out that way! I'm very glad about Ginny's big bit too. She's Abby's only true friend in the end, the only one who understands her.**

**So will Voldemort be defeated? Will Harry live til the end? Will he forgive Abigail? Will Draco see Hermione again? Will this fic end happily? Can't say… most questions answered in the next chapter. I won't reveal anything about chapter 35 except that it's called "The Storm" and it's all about the war. I'll update very soon to make up for this long wait, hopefully before the weekend. Btw, it's my BIRTHDAY on Wednesday, I'm gonna be 20!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! A lot happens in this chapter and I'm sure there are things you want to comment on! Take care Hathor xxx**


	35. The Storm

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you're all doing well! I had a really great week, celebrating my birthday with both my family and friends. Unfortunately now I'm back at uni and I have tons of work as exams are coming up! Yikes! Just to warn you now, the next chapter won't be up for two weeks at least. Sorry but it has to be done! Besides they'll be written better if you give me time, lol!**

**You all seemed to like the previous chapter and I'm so happy because most scenes in it were in my head from the beginning when I started writing this fic and I was really excited to write them. I drafted the last chapter of the fic the other night and it was really exciting, you guys are gonna love it!**

**Chapter 35 is action-packed and full of angst. It was incredibly hard to write! Fortunately I have a fabulous beta-reader, Chas3r who helped me out big time! Thank you Pia and I dedicate this chappie to you!**

**Thank you o everyone who wished me a happy birthday, it was really sweet! I thanked everybody personally at the end of the fic, so now read on and enjoy!**

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(last chapter)

_"Accio wand!" Voldemort hissed, causing Abigail's wand to fly out of her hand and into his bony spider-like fingers._

_Within seconds, a couple of Death Eaters emerged from the same door she had come through and held her firmly by the shoulders._

_Abigail tried to fight against them, her anger back in full but the wizard on her left twisted her arm forcefully causing her to fall on her knees and cry out in pain._

_"How foolish!" Voldemort said in high, cold voice. "I will deal with you later. First of all, it's time for Harry Potter to die!_

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Chapter 35

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Draco stood still beside the Dark Lord. He watched as Voldemort stood up and approached Potter, glaring down at his arch nemesis. The Boy Who Lived laid still on the cold stone floor and his face was ghostly white.

"What have you done to him?" Abigail asked, not able to mask the fear in her voice.

"He thought that he was strong enough to defeat me! Me! Lord Voldemort!" he hissed dangerously, stepping down from the platform. "I'm surprised the idiot managed to keep his mouth shut even when I tortured him."

Abigail glared furiously back at him.

"But it's even more fun when they resist!" he continued, his red eyes dancing in anticipation. "No, what made your precious Potter scream is the dark spell he is now under. It makes him experience his worst nightmares both mentally and physically as I speak."

"He seems to have passed out from the pain," Draco commented mockingly, noticing Abigail's eyes darkening by the second. In truth, he was only gaining some time before the inevitable happened. His mind was racing against time to find a way to save both Potter and Abigail. Her sudden intrusion had reassured him but it seemed that it was a rash action rather than a well-prepared plan and now she was caught.

He watched as two black-hooded figures, surely Crabbe and Goyle, the seniors, held her firmly. One of them took a sick pleasure at twisting her left arm behind her back, making her fall on one knee whilst the other grasped her hair tightly, pulling her head back so that she could watch Potter die.

Suddenly, Voldemort turned to Draco.

"Kill him," he ordered sharply, turning back to his throne.

Draco was confused. Why was the Dark Lord asking him to kill Potter? The Boy Who Lived? Didn't Voldemort want to kill him himself after all those years? Was he scared that Potter might defeat him again? Draco quickly pushed those thoughts aside and racked his brains for a way out. Slowly he reached inside his robes and retrieved his wand.

"No!" Abigail shouted, wincing in pain as the grasp on her arm tightened.

"I saved her Malfoy! She's safe, I saved her!" she continued to breathe out, her eyes watching him pleadingly. "Please, help him!"

Draco stopped as she spoke. Relief overwhelmed him as he heard her mention Hermione.

_She's safe!_

He faced Abby and watched her struggle in vain against both Death Eaters.

"I won't let you harm him, Draco!" she spoke up again.

"Shut up!" Voldemort shrieked, urging Draco to get on with it.

Draco felt the anger mount within him. Once again, the Dark Lord was asking him to do his dirty work. Stepping forward, he took out his wand but instead of killing Potter, he released him from the dark curse that was plaguing him. He turned to face Voldemort's surprised face but instead his heart skipped a beat.

The deathly pale creature before him didn't seem surprised at all by his action but merely laughed.

And then Draco realised Voldemort's trap: killing Potter was a test and now he had shown his true loyalty.

His beady red eyes narrowed into slits. "Well, well, well, it seems I've discovered the traitor among my ranks," he stated, sending chills down Draco's spine.

He then turned to the two Death Eaters holding Abigail. "Kill them."

Hearing his words, Draco immediately summoned Abigail's wand, which flew to his hand. Abigail apparated by Draco's side in record time as he stunned both death Eaters.

"All that when you could have disapparated and saved Wonder Boy yourself!" he growled, giving her back her wand.

"This is war, Malfoy," she told him, casting healing spells on Potter, although she kept her eyes on Voldemort. "I had to be sure you were on our side."

At the same time, the Weasel burst into the hall through a side door followed by Hermione. Draco's eyes locked with her worried gaze and a smile spread on her face. They both noticed Harry on the floor and ran by his side and tried to help him up.

"How could you betray me?" Voldemort hissed at Draco from his throne. "After all the power I offered you! How dare you betray your own kind? A Malfoy associating with Mudbloods and muggle-lovers - how weak of you!"

"I am not weak!" Draco snarled in anger, tightening his grip around his wand. "I am a Malfoy and a Pureblood and as such I will not obey a sadistic bastard like yourself."

Although Draco could insult his old master all he wanted, he quickly realised that Voldemort could easily kill him. He glanced nervously at Abigail for help; she seemed to be battling with her mind. She surely knew how to protect him.

"You think you can defeat me boy?" Voldemort laughed loudly, his raspy voice echoing through the hall.

And then Abigail's voice suddenly exploded in his mind._ Drago - your ancestor was named Drago. You know what to do!_

"_Protego Drago!_" he shouted instantly, casting the spell on himself. A silvery light shone around him, enveloping him a few seconds before disappearing.

Voldemort laughed once more. "That won't help you for very long. I have always known there were traitors among my ranks and although your Mudblood wouldn't tell me who they were, I decided to change my plans. Just in case."

Draco froze as several doors creaked open all around him. And then his blood ran cold.

Behind him, Hermione gasped as she caught sight of what stood behind the wooden doors. Dozens of Death Eaters followed by Dementors and vampires poured inside, circling the hall menacingly. Draco, along with Abigail, stepped back slowly, until they reached the Golden Trio, who looked wide-eyed at the menace before them. They formed a tight circle, back to back, looking warily as most of Voldemort's army filed into the hall.

Black-hooded figures seemed to multiply by the second.

A very pale Harry stood up on his own next to Draco. He seemed oblivious to what was happening around him and instead stared intently at Abigail. He put a hand on her shoulder, making her spin around.

"You came," he said quietly, a smile creeping on his tortured face. "Why?"

All sorts of evil creatures continued to encircle them from a distance but still Abigail returned his smile.

"You know why," she told him simply, caressing his cheek.

Anger grew inside of Draco. They were all going to die and yet all Abigail could think of was Potter! Yet, he felt comforted and reassured when Hermione's hand suddenly slipped into his own as they continued to face the numerous army before them. Draco turned to face her and noticed large chocolate eyes smiling at him. She was glad to see him again even though they were now in mortal peril.

"_Protego Leo!_" he heard Abigail cast the protection spell quietly on both Harry and Hermione although it wouldn't save them.

It was the end now; Death Eaters and dark creatures fully encircled them and watched in anticipation for Voldemort's command. Red beady eyes looked down upon them, flaring up in triumph.

CRASH!

Looking up, Draco felt Hermione squeeze his hand in fear as three mountain trolls unexpectedly came tumbling through the thick large oak doors. Her eyes were filled with terror.

"Oh fuck," he heard the Weasel exclaim.

"You see, I finally decided to send only half of my army to Hogwarts," Voldemort hissed, pleased to see his enemies fall back into a tight circle, their wands held out with shaking hands. As his cold laughter boomed across the hall, causing everyone even Draco to shiver in fear, another crash was heard and they all jumped in fright.

The largest troll had just fallen flat on the ground, dead.

"As you only sent half of your army to Hogwarts," a deep voice spoke up from the behind the troll, "we decided to join the fun here."

Draco strained his neck to see Mad-Eye Moody standing next to the troll. Behind him, followed a great many wizards and witches, which Draco assumed were members of the Order of the Phoenix. Snape was among them. They had obviously already fought at Hogwarts as their robes were torn, several members were covered in blood and some were limping badly. A tall and imposing figure stepped out of the crowd and Draco instantly recognised the long snow-white beard.

"Yes, Tom," Dumbledore scolded him, his eyes twinkling behind his half-mooned glasses. "How foolish of you to underestimate Hogwarts students."

Hermione seemed as though she wanted to leap out for joy whilst Draco closely watched Voldemort's reaction. For the first time ever, he noticed fear flicker across the Dark Lord's red eyes.

"Ready?" Hermione asked him, letting go of his hand.

"Always," he growled, clasping his wand tightly before him.

And then all hell broke loose.

In an instant, every man and creature bolted into action. Sparks of red, green and purple light shot in every direction and Draco was thankful his shield protected him for now. He had never realised how much energy these shields took out of him to work and each time he was hit, he felt more and more weak. Still, Draco shot forward, casting stunning spell after stunning spell at every Death Eater, Dementor and vampire in sight. He was completely engulfed into battle and lost sight of the others. Dodging a powerful curse, he briefly wondered where Hermione was but he had no time to look for her.

Abigail suddenly appeared by his side.

"_Imperio!_" she shouted at the nearest Death Eater. Instantly he obeyed her orders and started cursing a deathly pale vampire beside him.

Smirking, Draco narrowly missed a green jet of light and fought back, stunning a couple of black-hooded figures on his left.

CRASH!

Another large troll fell to the ground, his face colliding with the stone hard floor, merely inches away from Draco. Realising he could have been squashed, he looked up and saw Hermione grin along with the Weasley twins before springing back into action. They had successfully taken care of the second troll. From the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a Death Eater, pointing his wand at Professor Lupin's back.

"Watch out!" Draco called out, before several Death Eaters made a charge for him.

He didn't see if Lupin got hurt or not as he fought with all his strength against blazing red and purple spells. He stunned his attackers as best as he could seeing as they weren't a threat as long as his shield was up. However, as soon as his shield failed him, he would have no choice, he would have to kill them instantly. He continued to fight against Death Eaters, catching a glimpse of Weasley from a distance, fighting off a couple of vampires with Lupin's help. The werewolf was still alive then.

As he watched, he didn't notice the dementors flying towards him. Dodging a purple blast, Draco suddenly felt he couldn't breathe. His energy was slowly being drawn away from him. And then, past images of torture and death started to invade his mind. His knees no longer able to hold him, he fell to the ground, as the room spun endlessly around him. Everything was blurry around him and he felt nauseous. He tried to keep his eyes open as streaks of colours flashed in ever direction and three dark figures hovered over him, sucking every happy memory out of his soul.

"Draco!" a voice screamed far away.

"_Expecto Patronum!_"

A white light emerged among the dark creatures around him and chased them away. Draco quickly felt his senses come back to him and noticed a pair of green eyes shining above him.

"A life for a life," Potter said, blood trickling from his mouth. He disappeared out of view and Draco felt someone else beside him, helping him up.

Hermione.

Looking around, Draco's mouth dropped in awe as he saw the bright stag chase the Dementors around the hall, driving them away.

"Good riddance!" Hermione exclaimed angrily.

The left side of her robes was covered in blood and she fought angrily as Draco slumped against her for a few moments, trying to recover from the Dementor attack.

"Thanks," he finally managed to mumble, a weak smile on his lips.

Hermione hugged him tightly and he inhaled her sweet scent, making him stronger by the second.

"Come on!" Hermione told him, giving him back his wand. "We still haven't won –"

But before she could finish, a green jet of light hit her in the back and she stumbled to the ground, screaming in pain.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled after her, angry that he hadn't seen the spell coming.

He then turned to her attacker and shouted, "_Stupefy!_"

His spell was easily deflected, but it caused the Cruciatus curse to be lifted. Hermione sat up in pain and dragged herself away from the battle, leaning herself up against the nearest wall. But Draco didn't see her. He didn't see the raging battle continuing around him either as he stared intently at the Death Eater before him. As the large black hood covering the Death Eater's face fell down, Draco came face to face with a pair of steel grey eyes.

"I always knew that you were not strong enough to replace me!" Lucius barked, stepping closer to him. "I always knew I had a weak son, a boy who would eventually deceive my master and I."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I tried to please you, Father. I tried to obey your every command and desire. Believe me I tried," he stated, deadly serious. "But you taught me something that you seemed to have forgotten yourself. You once told me that Malfoys were their own master, that we bowed to no one and yet, here you are, grovelling at Voldemort's feet!

"You will not speak his name!" Lucius shouted, brandishing his wand. "_Crucio!_"

However, Draco easily dodged his spell and defiantly stepped closer to his father. The surrounding Death Eaters didn't dare interrupt the fight between father and son and quickly stepped away.

"Do you not understand what the Dark Lord is trying to achieve for us?" Lucius reminded him, his silver eyes flaring with anger. "He once told me that you had great potential and that you would certainly replace him. I never believed him; I always knew that you would side with the weak! Is that what you want, boy? To side with Mudbloods and muggle-lovers? Do you think they can give you power and glory?"

_He knows about the prophecy!_ Draco realised angrily as Lucius had never told him about it.

"The prophecy is very clear, Father," Draco spat in disgust. "As I intend to accomplish it, the Malfoy name will continue to live on but I must be alone. I am my own master now and so I don't need you, nor the disgusting creature you call 'master', nor anybody else anymore."

"Then you will die!" Lucius shouted, a mixture of hate and anger flashing through his dark eyes. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

A blinding stream of green light flew towards Draco but fortunately the spell bounced off his shield and hit Lucius squarely in the chest.

"Goodbye, Father," Draco said coldly as he watched the man he hated even more than Voldemort, crumble to the ground. It was ironic really that his ancestor had protected him and thus killed off one of his own but Draco was grateful that the sadistic brute that he had called 'Father' all his life was finally dead. However, the Unforgivable curse had been the last straw and he felt his shield disappear around him. It had drained Draco of all his energy but he had to keep fighting. Turning around, he spotted Hermione leaning against a wall, trying to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, running by her side.

Hermione smiled weakly. "I'm fine. My protective shield died before the Cruciatus curse hit me."

Bending down, Draco kissed her on the cheek before jumping back into action to protect her as she rested. He fought eagerly against Death Eaters and killed several vampires as they tried to snatch a blood-covered Hermione. The hall was a mess, black-hooded figures littered the floor, pools of blood blotched the floor and several members of the Order, obviously tired and hurt, fought in groups as Death Eaters picked them off one by one.

Since the beginning Voldemort stood in the centre of the hall, dueling with Dumbledore. Neither of them seemed to be winning. He spotted several members of the Order, including Lupin, Snape and his cousin Tonks trying to kill the third troll. The giant and stupid creature was causing great havoc, swinging its club around, hitting wizards, Death Eaters and vampires. Draco ran as fast as he could to help them, dodging powerful spells. He jumped out of the troll's way as its club came swinging towards him. However, Tonks wasn't as fortunate and went flying across the hall as the club hit her in the stomach. She smacked the opposite wall and slid down it, tracing a trail of blood behind her.

"Tonks!" Lupin yelled, but it was too late.

It took only a few moments before McGonagall stunned the creature and Snape and Lupin followed by Draco, cast the Killing curse on the mountain troll and it fell backwards with a loud crash, dead. Draco watched as Lupin seemed to run through the hall in slow motion towards Tonks and cradled her body in his arms. Draco was kicked back into reality as a green spell skimmed his arm and cut it open. He yelled in pain, grabbing his arm but not before sending the Killing curse back at the Death Eater. He finally noticed Snape at his side asking him if he was all right but before he could open his mouth, an ear-splittening scream echoed throughout the hall. Draco whipped around as the hall fell silent again and he saw Potter, wand in hand, breathing heavily in anger over the corpse of Bellatrix Lestrange.

He had killed her.

As quickly as the hall fell silent it burst into action again. The war was still raging and from the corner of his eye, Draco noticed Abigail fighting fiercely not too far from Harry. Spells bounced off her shield as several angry Death Eaters fought to bring her down. They all knew that she was a potential threat to their victory and Voldemort's hatred for her made his faithful followers even more eager to kill her. Sensing she needed help, Draco deflected spells and sent powerful curses back as he fought his way to her.

Closing up on her, his heart leapt up into his throat.

A green jet of light, the Killing curse, hit Abigail and shattered her shield. Although part of the curse was deflected, the other half hit her in the stomach, causing a huge gash to open. She stumbled backwards, her dark eyes widening in shock as her ancestor failed to protect her. Slowly, she fell to her knees and finally on her back at the mercy of the black hooded figures surrounding her.

Draco felt paralysed as he watched her fall.

"Abby!" Harry cried out, running to her side.

But the Death Eaters immediately turned towards him, blocking his way. Snapping back into reality, Draco ran to the fallen body.

_She's breathing!_ he thought out loud in relief, seeing her chest take in deep breaths and her hand moving slowly. He stunned the remaining Death Eaters around her and watched them fall to the floor one by one. He turned to face Abigail but instead he came face to face with a tall vampire, who roughly grabbed her from behind and strangled her around the neck. He hauled Abigail to her feet, causing her to scream in pain and growled in turn at Draco, exposing his blood-covered fangs.

Draco lifted his wand at him slowly, blood spilling down his arm but he hesitated. If he cast a spell now, he was sure to hit Abigail instead of the vampire.

"Don't try your magic tricks with me, wizard!" the vampire spat out, dragging a limp Abby away with him. "You can't afford to hit your precious friend!"

Draco's eyes flashed dangerously at him and he lifted his wand at him again.

"No – Draco!" Abby cried out with difficulty, sensing what he was about to do.

However, he didn't listen to her. Taking a deep breath, Draco tried to concentrate among the raging battle and finally brandished his wand, blood trickling down his arm.

"No, you can't do that!" Abby shouted in one last effort, her eyes widening in terror.

"_Devio Stupefy!_"

The spell successfully hit the vampire and he fell to the ground in an instant, Abigail tumbling over with him. Draco carefully helped her out of the vampire's grip, her body shook violently against him.

"Don't you – don't you ever do that again!" she yelled. Her face was deathly pale as she took in great gulps of air.

"You didn't think I was actually going to use the Killing curse, did you?" Draco smirked, picking up her wand for her. She scowled at him in return but as Draco tried to lift her up, she howled in pain, her hand instinctively covering the large cut.

"Heal me!" she cried out desperately, grasping his arm.

"Abby, you need medical attention, I can't heal such a large cut!" Draco tried to reason with her, as he sat her gently back down on the floor.

"Just do it!" she yelled, gripping his robes tighter.

Seeing the pain she was in, Draco cast a pain-killing spell instead. "That's all I can do," he told her, standing up.

"Thanks," she breathed out, casting a few healing spells on herself and healing Draco's cut as well.

Draco looked around at the chaos around him and quickly ducked in time as a blazing red jet of light came his way. He noticed McGonagall and Snape moving around the hall, casting binding spells on every fallen Death Eater as others continued to fight or disapparated in fear. The remaining members of the Order were still fighting or healing their own. Voldmort and Dumbledore endlessly continued to duel in the centre, unaware of everything around them. Draco's eyes automatically scanned the hall looking for Hermione and he found her fighting alongside Potter surrounded by Death Eaters. He meant to help her but then beneath him, Abigail took a deep breath and tried to stand up as well.

"No Abby, stay here, I'll get help," he ordered.

"They need me," she told him, refusing his help to get up.

Draco swore under his breath when suddenly everyone around him froze. A purple jet of light had shot out from Voldemort's wand and hit Dumbledore in the shoulder, causing everyone's hair to stand on end. It seemed all eyes were on the old man as he toppled over and fell to the ground. Members of the Order instantly ran to the headmaster's side to protect him, including Potter, whilst Voldemort swiftly stepped away and walked through a hidden door in the wall.

Seeing where he went, Potter ran after him, violently opening the door and disappearing behind it.

_It's a trap!_ Draco thought, still staring at the wall ahead of him. _If Voldemort had wanted to flee, he would have disapparated!_

Needing to warn somebody, Draco noticed Abigail was still by his side. She had also witnessed the scene.

"Fetch Hermione, quick!" she ordered before stumbling off towards Ron, who was listening intently to his agitated father, whilst fighting the rest of the vampires.

Draco felt compelled to obey her and his eyes quickly scanned the room for the Gryffindor girl. He found her, standing over her headmaster, fat tears rolling down her face. She had a large cut on her right cheek and she was holding her leg in pain. It killed him that he hadn't been able to protect her more during battle.

As soon as she caught his eye, she limped towards him and hugged him.

"Is he okay?" he asked, seeing many wizards and witches buzzing around the pale body of Dumbledore.

"He's badly hurt," Hermione answered, crying on his shoulder. "They're trying to heal him."

He took her by the shoulders and pulled her away from the battle, his silver eyes boring into her own.

"Hermione, listen to me," he said sternly, watching out for Death Eaters. "Potter's gone after Voldemort by himself. We have to save him before he gets himself killed."

As soon as he finished, Abigail ran up to them, followed by Ron.

"Guys, this is it," she explained, taking Ron and Hermione by the hand. "Harry is the only one who can kill Voldemort -"

Draco raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"Prophecy," Hermione whispered to him quickly.

"- we have to help him," Abigail concluded.

"Abigail, wait I have to –"

"Not now, Ron," she cut him off quickly and then turned her head to Draco. "Voldemort must have gone where he feels the most powerful. Any ideas?"

"The torture chamber," Draco answered on the beat. "We have to leave now."

"I know!" she told him firmly, admitting her fear. "Now hold on to me!"

Draco looked back at her confused but did as he was told and gripped her arm. Before he could question her, they all disapparated with a loud pop.

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As soon as they apparated in the torture room, Draco spotted Voldemort standing across from the door, ready for Potter to arrive. He spun around to face the small group but Abigail was quicker.

"_Stupefy!_" she yelled at him, causing a continuous stream of red light to shoot from her wand. Catching him off guard, Voldemort froze on the spot. However, the Dark Lord was more powerful and Abigail seemed exhausted from the multiple apparation. Her shield must have taken a lot of energy from her as well, Draco thought, as he watched Voldemort gradually overcome the red light that tried to keep him in place. His deathly pale face was fixed in an angry expression as he tried to fight the stunning spell.

For a few seconds, everyone was still watching the struggle in interest until Potter ran through the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

"How did you –"

"Not now!" Hermione butt in, sensing Abigail's spell wouldn't last very long. The large cut along her stomach was slowly reopening and blood began to spill again down her robes.

"Harry," Hermione continued, stepping towards him, holding out her wand. "As soon as Voldemort breaks free, you have to kill him before he kills us all."

"What about us?" Ron asked, not too sure what to do.

"Hermione – Ron – they have to protect Harry," Abigail answered, struggling with her wand to keep Voldemort from breaking free.

"You ready guys?" Potter asked his two best friends, keeping his eyes firmly on Voldemort, brandishing his wand in front of him.

Draco was surprised to see the Boy Who Lived look so determined to murder the Dark Lord. His blazing green eyes told him that he was no longer scared to kill. He was no longer the little boy who kept to himself and cowered before danger.

Although Draco didn't know it, Harry was ready to face the prophecy and kill Voldemort.

And then, Weasley opened his mouth.

"Wait!" he shouted, surprising everyone in turn. "Abigail, I've been told to warn you! You have to leave now!"

His words caught everyone's attention.

"My father told me that the Ministry discovered where you live and they're about to blow your house up as we speak!"

Draco looked incredulously back and forth between the Weasel and Abigail's pale face._ Why is he telling her this now! _

"He said they didn't trust you or something. They want to destroy some important books or something."

Draco froze at his words._ The Serpent books!_

"WHAT?" Abby shouted, turning to face Ron, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Ron, shut up," Hermioe cried out, but it was too late. Abigail's concentration broke and to everyone's horror, so did the stunning spell.

Voldemort was free again.

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**Uh oh! The final battle will be in the next chapter! 3 chapters left guys, so make the most of it!**

**I did start off writing this chapter thinking no one would die or get seriously harmed but unfortunately, reality is war doesn't happen that way so I have killed off some characters but I've decided to write a sequel so I can't kill off the important ones just yet. That's all I'm saying!**

**After catching a glimpse of BuffyTVS on Tv, I thought I'd add vampires in there, lol! What do you think? Did you like Draco's 'revelation' as I called it? There are lots of small twists and turns in this chapter and I hoped you enjoyed it!**

**Remember to check out my bio as I keep you daily informed on the progress of this fic and others! Oh and check out my fav stories, they are all very good and varied.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'll dedicate the next chapter to my 400th reviewer!**

On to the shout outs (I hope I don't miss out anyone):

Zippyrox: This was as soon as humanly possible! Long wait for the next chapter too.. sorry!

Thatonechic: Happy birthday! Hope you had a good one. I like cliffhangers, what can I say? These are the last chapters, I have to keep the suspense!

Annie: Sorry but the next update will take a while, I'm very behind my revision schedule.. oops!

Alenor: Lol, wouldn't that be really cynical if Abby watched everyone die without caring? I hope you liked this chapter because Draco did help as you wanted it!

JTfanaddict: I loved your review, it was great! You summarised Abby's character brilliantly… well she hasn't died in this chapter but she's gravely hurt! I also loved the confrontation btw Ginny and Abby! I love Ginny and she'll definitely be more important in the sequel… nuff said!

LadySnake: Hehe, well Draco does fight for the light! Yay! A lot of people thought Abby would die but she's still alive for the moment, we'll see! Hope you enjoyed the battle scene!

Nightmistrie: Thnak you, that was a really sweet review. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last one.

Malfoy's Angel: Thanks for the review, it was brilliant! The whole scene btw Harry and Abigail was in my idea since the beginning, I love writing it because its so intense! I also think its good that they waited, plus I don't have to write lime, lol!

Hpcrzyfb: Hey, I'm glad it shocked you that Abby decided not to help, that was exactly the effect I was looking for. I had a great birthday thanks but I didn't forget u guys and kept on writing this chapter. Hope you liked it!

May: Hope your questions were answered in this chapter! I purposely added that bad feeling about Abby to add about the suspense but she's very useful at the moment! Thank you for the review!

Tomfeltonlover1400: Thank you, you're review was really cool! I finally updated but the next chapter will take some time, sorry! Hope you enjoyed the angsty battle!

Twinklerbell23: Hey! I loved your review when you asked about killing Dumbledore. Well he's hurt badly at the moment if it helps! I'm glad you were touched by the last chapter, I try so hard. Lol! By the way, did you mean clichés about the plot or the dialogue? I admit I like using what I see in movies,etc.

Juicy-Fuit for Drako: Thank you for reviewing, I had a great birthday (got quite drunk actually, lol!) Anyway, I've decided to write a sequel post-Hogwarts so I'm afraid u'll have to wait to find out if they live happily ever after!

Roguish muse: I'm glad you like my fic so much! I tend to rush through chapters too when I'm really excited! Hope you enjoyed this chappie!

KellyxOx: I can't believe you read this till 3am! I'm glad you got hooked too! Thanks for reviewing!

Kerry: Well Draco definitely helped the light side in the war but will he stay good until the end… Sorry about the cliffie but I can't help it!

Dark rose: Thanks for the review! Hope u like chapter 35.

Aaliyah: Wow, ur review was so nice! I can't believe you read it with nine of your friends. I'm glad you enjoy this fic so much. Definitely tell me what you think of the next chapters! Thanks

Lane: I love cliff hangers, except when I'm the reader, hehe! Sorry bout that and there's another one in this chapter too but well the end is near so I have to get u excited and all! Lol, hope you enjoyed it!

Eriador: Thanks for the review! I decided to write a sequel so I can't kill everyone just yet if that reassures you! I can't give u any guarantee about not crying though. I had a great brthday thanks, its sweet of you to mention it.

Undercoverfreek: Hehe, I'm glad it made you teary, I tried so hard to keep it all emotional. Hope u liked this one!

Pippin1177: Well the chapter is finally up! I'm glad I managed to keep the suspense up in the last chapter, hopefully this one was as good, it took me ages to write!

Dracocrazyem: Hey! I was so glad to get three reviews all in one day from ya! Thanks for reviewing my one-shot as well, its quite depressive stuff as well. I hope you're glad I decided to write a sequel, I'm still working on the plot at the moment. The scene btw Hermione and Draco in chapter 33 was hard to write but I'm glad it got everybody all emotional as well as the confrontation btw Harry and Abby. I was inspired by my personal life a bit which was quite funny! I love your reviews, they're so cool and I always look forward to them. I hope you liked this chapter and you'll comment on it. Thank you for wishing me a happy birthday, I had a terrific one!


	36. Final Battle

**Disclaimer: HP and his fabulous world doesn't belong to me unfortunately but to J.K. Rowling. But I did invent every other character you don't recognise…**

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back with chapter 36. I'm sorry about my bio updatings but wouldn't let me change it for a whole week! I hope you've all been doing well, I've been working my ass off for my exams coming up.. yikes. But chapter 36 was stuck in my head all week and so I decided to write it up before going crazy, lol!**

**This chapter is dedicated to my 400th reviewer Dracos#1gurl or Aaaliyah (I don't know which you prefer) and to all her friends who read my fic but aren't able to review. Thanx guys, I'm so glad you enjoy it!**

**Anyway, in this chapter, it's THE FINAL BATTLE! Yay, its finally the last kick ass duel between Harry and Voldemot! I kept listeneing to Snow Patrol while writing this chappie, especially 'Run', such a good song! Nuff said, I'll explain more at the end…**

**For now, read on!**

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* * *

Hermione held her breath in.

_Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!_

She couldn't think properly as she watched Voldemort, the darkest wizard ever, brandish his wand at Harry in a flash.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" The two enemies shouted simultaneously, drawing all eyes on them. At that moment, they all forgot about Ron's words and Abigail's outburst. Now was the time to fight and for Harry it was kill or be killed.

Her heart caught in her throat, Hermione watched with wide eyes as Harry's jet of green light crashed into Voldemort's own curse. The noise was deafening as the two wands, crackling with intense power, suddenly linked together through a continuous stream of green light and a central ball of light appeared between them. The power each wand projected was enormous and ripped through the air, blowing Hermione's hair and cloak back.

Both stream of lights continuously shot out of the brother wands filled with a single phoenix feather from Fawkes.

Hermione quickly covered her eyes as the intense bright light blinded her but then she gasped, inhaling sharply, as Voldemort's curse suddenly seemed to overcome Harry's and slowly crept up the line of light towards his nemesis.

"Protect Harry!" Abigail yelled beside Voldemort, seeing him struggling to hold his wand straight. Hearing her words, Hermione caught Ron's blue eyes, amazed at the scene before him. Following his suit, she took her wand out and shouted a protection spell over the thundering crackling in the air.

"_Protego Leo!_"

Hermione kept her wand steady as a golden stream of light emerged from the tip. It endlessly projected a beam of gold, which linked with Ron's own jet of light and graciously enveloped Harry's body as he struggled to focus on his own spell. She stood in awe as she watched the golden protective shield around Harry. She had never seen such a beautiful colour projected from her wand before.

She quickly snapped out of her reverie as she heard Draco.

"It's not working!" he yelled from the other side of the room, pointing to the luminous ball of green light, still creeping up the stream towards Harry. "He's too powerful!"

From the corner of her eye, Hermione looked at Abigail standing a few feet away from her, next to Voldemort. Her dark eyes were filled with fear. For the first time it seemed the Serpent had no idea what to do. Suddenly, Harry flinched and lowered his arm momentarily before forcing himself to concentrate even harder and continue to hold up his wand hand.

As Hermione watched him, she never felt more scared in her life. If Harry couldn't do it then how the hell could they win?

"Why isn't it working? They should be at equal power!" Abigail yelled back to Draco, having also noticed Harry's weakening state. His face was slowly starting to show signs of fatigue and pain and his knees wobbled dangerously as he continued to fight against Voldemort.

The dark wizard looked happier than ever as his spell dangerously pushed its way towards Harry's wand. His long fingers gripped tightly his wand in a dominant manner as his beady red eyes flared up in triumph. His victory was approaching slowly but surely.

"He must have a shield!" Draco roared over to her, holding up his wand. "It's deflecting Potter's spell!"

"What?" she shouted, staggering back from the blowing intensity of the spells.

Hermione listened carefully to them although her eyes were riveted to the ball of light inches away from the tip of Harry's wand._ I don't care what you do, but do it quick!_

"We have to break it!" Draco seemed to realise, brandishing his wand towards Voldemort. "_Bombarda!_"

His spell shot out towards Voldemort and as predicted it bounced back against a suddenly visible shimmering red barrier._ Of course! He also has a shield, which deflects Harry's spell!_

But Voldemort's shield was obviously stronger than the one she and Ron were casting on Harry and the green ball of light kept creeping up closer to Harry's wand.

"_Diffindo!_" Abby shouted, jumping out of the way as the spell bounced back in her direction.

"_Impedimenta!_" Draco tried again, dodging the spell as it shot right back at him.

This time, however, Hermione noticed the red barrier shimmer a little longer before disappearing again. The luminous ball of light immediately slowed down.

"It's working!" she shouted at Abby, grasping her wand even more tightly as the golden beam of light continued to stream out, protecting Harry. However, he seemed in a pitiful state as his right leg gave way and he fell down on one knee, without ever lowering his wand.

"Come on, mate!" Ron instantly called out to Harry, deeply focusing on protecting his best friend's life. "You can do this, you can beat him!"

As he spoke, Draco and Abigail continued to cast spell after spell at Voldemort's protective shield, jumping around as they all shot back towards them. Draco easily avoided his spells due to acute Seeker reflexes from years of playing Quidditch, whereas Abigail, already suffering from her bleeding cut in the stomach, which she covered with one hand, barely managed to dodge the last cutting spell she cast.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she saw the dangerous ball of light halt, mere inches from Harry's wand and start to retreat. Instantly, Harry's weakening state lessened and he slowly regained control of his wand. Putting one hand on his knee, he pushed himself up on his two feet, standing up to his full height. His body suddenly seemed to radiate with power and his aura seemed to fill up the room.

At that instant, Hermione felt safe. They had won. Everyone looked at the Boy Who Lived in awe as he flashed a dangerous glare at Voldemort.

"Merlin!" Abigail gasped, her eyes flicking between Harry and the blinding ball of light, which rapidly shot back up the green stream of light, created by the simultaneous killing curses.

Voldemort looked absolutely horrified as his wide-open red eyes followed the green ball closing up on his wand. And then, after Draco cast his final spell on Voldemort's weak protective shield, the luminous ball connected with the dark wizard's wand.

Hermione froze as green light hit red and nothing seemed to happen for a couple of seconds. She didn't notice Abigail exchange a brief look with Draco, before he turned around and ducked, nor did she see Harry pull Ron away by the arm, forcing him to fall to the ground. She merely stood on her two feet, fascinated by the green light slowly mixing with the red before part of it suddenly burst through the shield.

And then, everything seemed to go much faster.

The green light instantly hit a ghostly pale Voldemort squarely in the chest as his red shield, mixed with green, shattered in millions of dangerous beams of lights, which shot out across the hall. But when Hermione finally snapped back to reality and realised that beams were headed in her direction, it was too late.

"HERMIONE!" she heard a voice scream, before a body crushed upon hers and sent her flying backwards. She felt her body connect with the hard floor, a sickening crack and then darkness.

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* * *

Drip.

Drip.

Something was tickling down Hermione's side and she didn't like it. Something was slowly sliding down her side and it woke her up.

Why were her ears pounding so loudly?

Slowly she regained consciousness and reluctantly opened her eyes. Wanting to reach for her aching head, she felt intense pain shoot through her arm, causing her to scream and fully awaken.

_My arm!_ she thought to herself as tears formed in her eyes. _It's broken!_

As she coped with the pain, holding her broken arm, Hermione didn't notice Harry's shadow pass over her. He stood a few feet away and slowly drew out a dagger from his robes as he stepped closer to Voldemort's corpse. Standing above it for a few moments, he contemplated his fallen enemy, a mix of emotions running through his green eyes before plunging the blade in the wizard's heart without hesitation.

It was just in case. Just in case the bastard found some other way to avoid death once more.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked in concern, turning around to the others.

"Hell, no," a voice weakly answered from above Hermione, who suddenly noticed the extra weight on her, crushing her lungs and preventing her from moving. She tried to push it off using her other arm but something tickled again and her hand shot to her side instead.

Her clothes were moist but – warm.

Pulling her hand away, Hermione brought it to her face and watched in horror as her hand was coated in blood.

Drip.

Drip.

And then she finally seemed to notice the long black hair, tanned skin –

Abigail.

"Urgh, that hurt," the limp body suddenly breathed out. "Next time, remember to duck Hermione!"

"Oh God!" Harry exclaimed faintly not too far away before running towards them.

"Abby!" he cried out, as he lifted her gently off Hermione and laid her beside.

"Merlin," she moaned slowly opening her eyes. Draco and Ron quickly made their way over and Hermione stifled a scream as Draco slowly helped her up and supported her body against his own. Relief washed over her as she saw him without any serious injuries and she squeezed his hand, as fat tears rolled down her cheek. Ron's leg, however, was cut open behind his knee and blood was rapidly soaking up his trousers and forming a puddle around his shoe. He leaned with difficulty against the nearby wall and eventually sat down.

Although his leg seemed more painful than Hermione's broken arm, his eyes were fixed on the body covered in blood before him – Abigail.

Hermione's eyes caught sight of the Slytherin girl and she winced. Abigail had tried to protect Hermione from the red beams shooting her way but unfortunately she had been hit through the shoulder, creating a hole with burnt skin surrounding it. It bled uncontrollably along with the huge gash along her stomach and several other cuts among her body. Blood slowly trickled from the corner of her mouth but her fiery dark eyes fixed Harry intently, contrasting deeply with the vivid red colour of her blood.

"Merlin, tell me it's over!" she joked weakly, staring into his shiny green eyes.

"Yeah, it's over, we won," Harry answered, kneeling down beside her.

To everyone's amazement, she managed to sit herself up.

"Is it that bad?" she asked, seeing everyone's grave expression.

"Abby, there's a hole in your shoulder," Harry answered flatly, trying to make her understand the seriousness of the situation.

"Really?" she said surprised, turning her head to see her arm. "Oh yeah – shit!"

"I'm so sorry," Hermione told her softly, realising what she had caused. Abigail smiled weakly back at her before tightening her hand around her wand.

"What the hell are you doing?" Harry asked in horror as she conjured bandages around her shoulder and her stomach.

"I'm healing myself!" she informed him, casting a few pain-killer spells upon herself. However, blood was already seeping through the bandages and no matter how many pain-killers she used, she still couldn't seem to get herself up.

"Abby, stop being so stubborn!" Harry cried out trying not to let his sudden anger overwhelm him. "Let Pomfrey fix you, we'll go fetch her now and then we can all go home."

He tried to smile at her as he spoke but it quickly disappeared as Abigail's eyes shot open.

"Home," she repeated, gripping her wand still in her hand. "Oh shit - Father!"

And then, to everyone's surprised, she abruptly disapparated from the room.

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* * *

It took a few moments before Abigail's disappearance sunk through everyone's mind.

"Holy fuck!" Draco finally spoke up. "Did she just apparate home? To her hime? As in abroad?"

"Jesus!" Harry shouted to himself as he stood up angrily. "Does that girl actually want to die?"

"We'd better go after her," Hermione suggested to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Ron, do you know where she went?" Harry asked him, tearing a piece of his cloak to wrap around his friend's leg.

"No, but my father or Dumbledore must know," he answered, grimacing as Harry slowly bandaged his leg and helped him up. "I'm sorry, I should have kept my mouth shut but my father told me that it was crucial that she knew."

"Let's go," Harry said using a levitating charm on Ron, who hovered a few inches above the ground. "Are you guys coming?" he suddenly said, turning to face Hermione and Draco.

"We'll be up in a sec," Hermione told him, as Draco checked her broken arm. Harry nodded and hurriedly left the room with Ron levitating behind him.

As soon as they were out, Hermione flung her arms around Draco's shoulders, hugging him tightly and forgetting her shooting pain. She didn't know why she hadn't done it before but now she couldn't think of anything else than being held in Draco's strong arms. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer as she kissed him deeply. She felt so safe now and so happy. It was as if nothing could go wrong anymore.

"I was so scared. I couldn't bare the thought of losing you," she breathed out, burying her face in his chest.

"I'll always be there for you, Hermione," he soothed her, stroking her hair softly. "You mean the world to me."

She pulled away, smiling brightly at him. "Draco, can you believe it? We won, we finally won and now we can be together. We won't need to hide anymore," she exclaimed, squeezing his hand as she lead him slowly out of the room.

Her heart was filled with so much joy that she barely heard Draco's answer.

"Together," he repeated in a hesitant voice. "Right."

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* * *

A few minutes later, they made their way back into the hall and watched in shock at what lay before them.

The large hall seemed to have been swept by a hurricane. Hermione had never seen anything like it. Two large trolls lay flat on the ground dead in the centre whilst the third one was being hauled away by Aurors through the large oak doors. Ministry officials had arrived at some point and were now rounding up the remaining Death Eaters, questioning members of the Order and taking notes all at the same time. Dead black hooded figures, vampires and wizards filled the stone floor within puddles of blood. Hermione tried not to look at the corpses but instead watched the mediwizards and healers take care of all the injured wizards and witches propped up against all four walls. Among them, she spotted Dumbledore and Harry and quickly made her way to them, letting go of Draco's hand.

"Professor, are you okay?" she asked worried, as she saw his arm bandaged. Several mediwizards were taking care of him and gave him several potions to drink as they spoke.

"I'll be quite alright, Miss Granger," he answered, smiling brightly, before turning back to Harry. "Here take the portkey."

He handed him a black leather shoe. "It will take you to Miss Serpent in a few seconds," he informed Harry, before turning his attention back to the mediwizard.

"We're coming too," Hermione instantly said, grabbing hold of the shoe, followed by Draco.

She looked up at Harry, but instead caught a glimpse of bright red hair behind him and noticed Ron pushing angrily past a Healer, who was trying to take care of his leg. He was trying to reach his parents, standing on the other side of the hall. Hermione noticed Mr Weasley was holding his wife in his arms as she cried heavily against him. His face was pale and his eyes seemed lifeless as he looked down to the ground.

Hermione couldn't see who was lying at their feet. Instead she noticed Bill standing nearby, crying silently and Fred kneeling on the ground, holding someone in his arms. As Ron finally made his way to them, she suddenly realised who was missing.

"Harry, where's George?" she asked quickly, fearing the worst.

He looked up at her but his green eyes couldn't seem to focus on hers.

_George!_ she thought, but before she realised, a familiar tugging at her navel occurred and she disappeared along with Harry and Draco.

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They landed with a thump on the ground and Hermione screamed out once more in pain as she landed on her arm. Both Harry and Draco went by her side to help her up before looking around them.

Hermione looked with wide eyes as a great blazing fire was swallowing up a large mansion in front of her. They had apparently landed in the park surrounding the Serpent mansion, which was crumbling under the flames before their eyes. The air was particularly hot for late February and ashes from the fire flew around them burning their eyes and yet they couldn't look away. Standing next to the garden shed, at secure distance, they watched the raging fire engulf the large mansion.

Hermione looked around the grounds trying to spot Abigail among the dark night. But there was no sight of her or any Ministry officials.

"Where is everyone?" Harry thought out loud, confused.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw a silhouette in the distance moving swiftly among the trees towards the burning house. It stopped abruptly, looking down at a lump in the grass.

"Look!" she said, pointing to the figure and quickly all three of them walked towards it.

Stepping closer, Hermione realised the lump in the grass was a person.

"It's Abigail!" she exclaimed causing Harry to hurry up but Draco quickly stopped him.

"Wait!" he told him, halting his steps. "Listen!"

Hermione looked at the tall figure towering above Abigail and saw that it was a middle-aged man, wearing Serpent robes.

"Father!" Abigail cried out, trying to lift herself up.

Although it was still night, the bright fire lighted the grounds enough for Hermione to witness the scene before her.

"Father, what have they done?" she cried out desperately, looking at her home burning down.

They both remained silent a few moments contemplating the raging fire when her father finally spoke up.

"This is all your fault," he told her quietly, raging silently as he watched the fire. "You've been selfish, Abigail. You have disgraced the family name."

Abigail's eyes opened wide at his words. She whipped around to face him, cringing at the pain in her shoulder.

"You involved yourself with the wrong people, you chose the wrong path." The deception seething through his words seemed to cause Abigail more pain than her wounds. Hermione watched in terror as she tried to stand up and face her father, who refused to help her up. But she failed and crumbled back down to the ground, screaming and sobbing in pain.

"Look at you, Abigail," he continued, watching her lie in pain. "Look at yourself, you're covered in blood, you can't even walk, what did you get yourself into?"

"We defeated Voldemort!" she cried back, her voice tight with emotion. "I helped defeat the darkest wizard ever!"

"But look what you've caused!" her father yelled angrily, pointing to the house in fury. "Look what you've done!"

Hermione felt Harry tense at the outburst and ready to run by Abigail's side but she stopped him. "Don't," she said softly, holding his arm. "This doesn't concern us. She wouldn't want you too."

"Everyone's safe, aren't they?" Abigail's trembling voice was suddenly heard. "You're safe and sound and –"

"The books, Abigail! The books, you foolish girl!" her father shouted back. "They are lost now, forever."

His words caused Abigail's head to snap back to the flaming house. Covering her stomach with one hand and gripping her wand in the other, she pushed herself off the ground, wobbling on her legs a little before stumbling off towards the mansion.

_She's going after the books! _Hermione realised, watching her fall to the ground again. _She's going to kill herself!_

"Abby!" Harry yelled desperately, seeing her crawl closer to the fire. Instantly all three of them ran off after her as she reached a flaming side door and opened it with her wand.

"Abby, what are you doing?" Hermione shouted, as they caught up with her.

"The books aren't far off inside. I have to save them!" she answered frantically, standing up the best she could and stepped inside.

"Bloody hell!" Harry swore before stepping in after her. Hermione followed him with Draco and suddenly wished she hadn't. The air was hot and full of smoke, burning her throat and stinging her eyes. Putting her sleeve over her mouth, she made her way along the room and a corridor, through the thick smoke following glimpses of Harry ahead of her.

He suddenly vanished from sight but Hermione felt Draco pull her aside and through a secret passage in the wall, which she hadn't noticed. They entered a small room with blazing walls. It all seemed about to crumble down.

"We have to get out!" Hermione yelled to the others. "This is crazy!"

"I don't see them!" Abigail cried out, looking around madly for the damn books, refusing Harry's arm to help her up. Hermione had no idea why these books were so important but she wasn't about to die trying to rescue them. Even her love for books had a limit! However, Draco had joined Abigail and was eagerly looking around the room for them.

"Draco, we have to –"

"There they are!" he cut in obviously not listening to her. He was pointing excitedly to several large leather bound dark green books in a corner being eaten away by the fire. He tried to pick one up but instantly dropped it because of the heat. At the same time, part of the ceiling suddenly collapsed next to Hermione but Harry pulled her away in time.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quickly.

She nodded still in shock and Harry immediately turned to Abby.

"We have to leave NOW!" he shouted, grabbing her arm to help her stay up as she nearly toppled over. Draco, however, continued to try and stamp out the raging fire, which was slowly destroying the books. He fixed the books with his eyes and didn't seem to pay attention to anything else but them. Hermione, stunned by his behaviour, opened her mouth to say something but Abigail beat her to it.

"Draco!" she called out to him, clutching Harry for support. "Let them burn!"

He spun around at her, holding another book, burning along the spine. With a last effort, Abigail grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away gently. "It's all in my head now. Let it burn."

Hearing another part of the ceiling crumble within the mansion, Draco dropped the book angrily back into the fire, his eyes flickering with rage. Grabbing Hermione's arm, he dragged her out of the room, through the smoke towards the exit. Hermione stumbled behind him as she tried to keep up with his pace and winced in pain at the tight hold he kept. They quickly made it back outside and Hermione instantly noticed several foreign Muggle fire engines, police cars as well as wizards and witches all with the Ministry of Magic emblem sown on their robes.

Harry soon emerged from the door behind her, carrying a weak Abigail in his arms. He hurriedly walked away from the house as it suddenly started to collapse and lay Abigail back down in the grass. Slipping out of Draco's grasp, Hermione rushed over to them.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, seeing Abigail's pitiful state. "Is she okay?"

"Father! Dad, where are you?" she asked out deliriously. Her bandages had disappeared and her wounds had opened up again causing blood to slowly pour out of her shoulder and stomach and soak her robes. She was starting to shake uncontrollably and her face had become incredibly pale.

"He's not here, Abby. Come on, we have to take care of you now," Harry replied in a soothing voice as he slipped his cloak over her. The green grass beneath her was slowly turning red and a puddle was beginning to form around her. Hermione looked around for her father but couldn't see him anywhere. Several policemen started making their way to them but they were quickly intercepted by Ministry officials. Hermione suddenly recognised Mad-Eye Moody talking rapidly in a foreign language to a large man in a black duster. He seemed to be the head of the police and after a quick conversation he rapidly called off his men and went back to his car.

"Merlin, it hurts," Abigail murmured to Harry, shivering in his cloak. Blood slowly trickled down from her mouth but Harry wiped it away.

"I know, I know," he soothed her, trying to bandage up her wounds again unsuccessfully.

"I'm so sorry - for what I said – for being late," she struggled to tell him, her pleading eyes locked with his own.

"Ssh. Try not to speak. I always knew that you would come. Someone will be here soon. You'll be fine," he tried to reassure her, stroking her forehead with his thumb, covered in her blood. But Abigail hadn't listened to him earlier, she hadn't healed her wounds properly and now she was in a critical state, Hermione noticed, as tears silently fell down on her cheeks.

"I can't feel my arm," Abigail cried out weakly, looking urgently into Harry's shiny eyes. "What's happening?"

"It's okay, Abby. We'll take care of you, don't worry, I'm here with you."

A tear suddenly fell on the cloak covering Abigail's cold body and Hermione realised that Harry was crying. Abigail closed her eyes momentarily, scowling at the pain running through her body.

"I can't..." she breathed out finally. "I'm sorry."

"No, Abby, you have to hold on! Help is on the way," he told her, holding her face in his hand.

"Hermione!" Harry cried out to her suddenly. "She's needs help now. Fetch Moody and ask him where the hell are the mediwizards."

Hermione nodded back to him, looking around for Moody among the many wizards and witches trying to put out the fire. She finally spotted him but Harry's words behind her made her freeze.

"Abigail! Shit, Abby!" Harry yelled, shaking her slightly as her eyes slowly began to close. "No! Don't do this to me! Please, don't do this - Hermione! Hermione, she's not breathing!"

Panicked, Hermione stumbled across the grounds towards Moody when something hit her in the back of her mind and her heart skipped a beat. She halted and looked rapidly across the grounds for a glimpse of silver but found none. Moody eventually caught sight of her and then of Harry with Abigail in his arms. He swore under his breath and ran up to Hermione, who was still looking desperately around the grounds, fearing the worst.

Before he could say anything, he was surprised to find her terrified brown eyes piercing into his own.

"Where's Draco?"

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**Voldemort is finally dead but Draco's missing! Can anyone guess where he's gone? Well you'll all find out in the next chapter, hahaha!**

**I know there's a lot of OC stuff here but its all very important for this story and the sequel! I hope you enjoyed anyway. Poor Abby, I keep making her go on and on and on but everyone has their limits (that doesn't mean I'm implying that she'll die!)**

**As for George, well, yes he did die and in the final chapter you will learn who else died from the war, mostly a lot of Order members. Unfortunately its war guys and they can't all survive.**

**About 'Drago', Draco's ancestor, I just took the French translation of his name. In France, Draco is called Drago Malefoy. Thought it was a good idea. Also the last scene with Abby and Draco trying to save the books has been in my mind since the beginning, its like the second scene I thought of (the first being the final chapter, hehe!) **

**Next chapter is Draco's POV, you'll find out why he's left, what he intends to do and its just so exciting that I really don't want to spoil it for you! Sorry but I swear I won't leave you hanging on for too long, the chapter will be up next weekend!**

**A MEGA BIG THANK YOU to everybody who reviewed, I'm sorry but I don't have time to answer you all but thank you so much to: annie, JTfanaddict, kellyxOx, tomfeltonlover1400, dracosgirl2515, D.r.a.c.o.s.H.e.r..O, Malfoy'sAngel, LadySnake, xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo, Draco'sMainGurl, nightmistrie, Juicy-Fuit for Drako, May, hpcrzyfb, starangel24, Pippin1177, roguish muse, twinklerbell23, Aaliyah, dracocrazyem, .Drama-Queen, christie and spicecat38**

**Please review! Hathor xxx**


	37. Destiny

**Author's Notes:** **Exams are nearly over! Yay! The week of absolute hell has finally passed by and I've been able to party all night Friday but I still have one exam left, not too bad… Anyway I certainly didn't forget you guys as not only is chapter 37 up but I'm currently writing a new fanfic, much lighter than this one also revolving around our favourite couple Hermione and Draco! **

**PLEASE READ: The new fanfic should be up very soon but I am in dear NEED of a BETA-READER! My faithful beta-reader Pia won't be able to help me out with this one so please EMAIL ME if you're interested!**

**Ok chapter 37, first of all it hasn't been beta-read yet so sorr about grammar and spelling mistakes. Secondly, I'm sorry for what you're about to read but I have always warned you about my fanfic being dark AND I did put in some subtle clues in the last chapters which some of you have picked up on. Yes in this chapter you finally understand where Draco is headed and why he was acting weird previously. Also there is a meeting mentioned with Dumbledore which will all be explained in the last chappie. I've already written a draft of it and trust me its very exciting! It will be up Friday probably and then the epilogue will follow no more than two days later.**

**Thank you to all my faithful reviewers:**

**.Drama-Queen: Lol, yes Voldemort is finally dead! And Draco, well he just went for a walk…**

**JTfanaddict: Hehe, first of all, I'm a girl. Sorry if I never specified before. You'll soon find out for Abby and George's death is more revelant to the sequel as Fred will become an important character. I did see GoF preview from internet and I was sooo excited! Cant wait, thanks for reviewing!**

**Malfoy'sAngel: I'm so glad you liked the final battle, its just so hard to describe on paper! As for Draco, nope his father is out of the way, read on and you'll find out! I read your fic and really liked, hope you update soon and you go my review. Thanks for your support!**

**xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo : Hehe, thanks for reviewing, do not worry I will update very soon next time!**

**Pippin1177: Hey, nope he didn't go back in. I did specify the house crumbled down in the end so Draco would have a hard time looking for the books, but good guess. Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chappie! **

**LadySnake: Draco doesn't go back in unfortunately but I'm glad you understood how important Abigail has become. She possesses all the Serpent knowledge... read on to see what Draco has done. Enjoy!**

**Alenor: Lol, good guesses, I wish h could have got a ring for Hermione but that would be too easy. Don't hate for what he's about to do... thanks for the review!**

**Juicy-Fuit for Drako: Hey, thank you for the review. Its all Draco in this chappie, hope you'll enjoy!**

**Hpcrzyfb: Hehe, would I be so cruel to Harry and kill Abby off ? Read on to find out. I'm glad you enjoyed the fight with Voldie because its hard to write without confusing the readers! Thank you for your reviews!**

**Dracosgirl2515: Hey, you made a very good guess, to a certain extent Draco does freak out about the book, but Abby' still around, at least for the moment. Read on to find out and enjoy!**

**Dracos#1gurl: Hey ! Why did I kill George off? Well it'll be important for the sequel as we'll see muc more of Fred. I couldn't kill off Ginny, I love her so much but it'll be a different Harry Potter world eithout the twins. Enjoy chapter 37!**

**Roguish muse: Thanks for reviewing, read on to find out what happened to Abby and Draco.**

**Tomfeltonlover1400: Thank you so much for your review, I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. And of course Harry wins, who wants Voldemort to rule the wold, however... read on!**

**May: Hey, you're the only reviewer who's picked up on my subtle clues (I think). Yes Draco is acting very weird but everything is explained in this chappie. Its not quite the end as there will be a sequel but I'm sad that the next chapter is the last one after all. Thank you so much for reviewing so faithfully!**

**Dark rose: Hehe, you made a very good guess.. nuff said. Enjoy! **

**My heart was pounding in my chest when I wrote this. I suddenly realised that it's almost the end, we're nearly there at the final chapter, with the final scene… Nuff said!**

**Read on without further ado…**

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Chapter 37

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Draco walked through the thick dark forest in search of the meeting place. He had never been there before but he had memorised the exact location as soon as he had become a Death Eater. It was the official hiding place for Voldemort's followers if things went wrong and last night, they had gone horribly wrong.

Voldemort was finished and the Death Eaters were without a leader.

As Draco continued to walk in the silent forest, he could barely feel the new sun's rays through the thick branches, which whipped against his face and cloak and shredded his clothes. He didn't know what time it was but his mind was begging for sleep. He felt himself getting weaker with every step he took and his mind inevitably started to wander off, trying to process what had happened the previous night and lead him on this path.

Voldemort had died, Draco had been there; he had participated to the downfall of one of the most powerful wizards in history. He had also killed the man he hated above all others, his father.

What had driven him to kill two of his mentors? He still didn't know, it was all so blurry and confused but one thing was for sure, he was his own master now. He finally had control over his life. He no longer received orders from others and he never will. Memories of his father torturing him into someone he didn't want to become would never leave his mind but thanks to Abigail Serpent he knew what his destiny was, who he could become and he was about to embrace it. He knew all along deep inside that he wanted to follow the prophecy, discover for himself how far he could go without anyone's help, without following anybody's orders and as soon as he found the hiding place it would begin.

But then, there was her.

There was Hermione Granger.

His girlfriend, his love – his Mudblood.

She taught him how to love; she made him discover his true self. He wasn't an obeying heartless Death Eater after all but a man capable of love who could achieve great things. So why had he left her side?

He wasn't sure. He could never be a part of what she believed in, he could never have a place among her own circle. Dumbledore's circle.

Draco would rather die than go and see the old man again. Once was more than humiliating, it was time he acted on his own accord, no more serving, no more obeying. It pained him to see Hermione, the cleverest witch of Hogwarts, blindly follow the old fool. It pained Draco when she had let go of his hand to run by the old man's side, but worse was how she deeply cared for Potter and the Weasel. They had a place in her heart that Draco would never have for anyone and it angered him. She would never understand him, she couldn't, she wasn't interested in power. It was clear the moment the Serpent books had been left to burn how different they were after all.

He had also seen it when Hermione had gone to Potter's side to save Abigail. He watched the three of them together, caring for one another and the truth had hit him then. They understood each other in a way Draco couldn't. After all they had fought for the same goals, they had the same faith and ideals and it killed him. He wasn't like her and yet he wanted her so badly. Maybe with time she could change, understand his ways, his ultimate destiny but then the prophecy was clear about one thing and it was her – they could never be _together_.

As long as Draco followed his destiny, he was a loner. And so he had left.

He had left her behind and apparated to the nearest portkey point where he could safely return to England. As Draco continued to march on, lost in his jumbled thoughts, he suddenly caught of glimpse of light among the dark and his mind woke up.

He had arrived.

The dense forest suddenly came to an end and he stood among a clearing where he saw a small log cabin from which light poured out. Taking a deep breath, Draco hid his white-blond hair and face with his hood and knocked three times on the door. He then lifted his sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark engraved in his pale skin.

Instantly, the heavy wooden door opened before him and he entered.

Inside, the log cabin was magically enlarged to accommodate Voldemort's hundreds of followers except tonight the room was nearly empty. Draco looked around at the bare room where the usual throne had been erected in the middle and a few chairs were stacked in the farthest corner. Less than fifty Death Eaters were standing before him.

"Identify yourself!" a hooded figure asked him loudly, pointing his wand at Draco's chest.

"Where are the others?" Draco asked in return.

"They're either dead or captured," a second man answered him sternly. "Our Lord won't be happy."

Draco turned to face him, astonished. Hadn't they heard? Didn't they know that Voldemort was dead?

"Who are you and what news do you bring?" the first man asked him dangerously, still grasping his wand firmly.

Draco suddenly noticed that all eyes were on him as every black-hooded figure awaited news concerning their Lord. He looked back at them and took a deep breath.

"The Dark Lord is dead," Draco admitted causing the hall to fall silent before uproars and cries suddenly broke out among the remaining Death Eaters.

"You're lying!" the Death Eater standing before Draco shouted back, ready to strike at him.

"McNair!" the second man snapped at him. "He tells the truth. We all felt it last night and now we know that it is true. Look at your forearm and you'll see that the Dark Mark is gradually fading away. "

Draco could see McNair's eyes narrow at him. "Did you see who killed him?" he asked furiously, several Death Eaters stepping forward, ready for revenge.

Draco looked at him a few seconds, considering his answer. It was now or never. It was finally time to take his destiny into his own hands, there was no turning back now.

"Of course," Draco announced, pulling down his hood whilst his heart skipped a beat in anticipation. "I was there."

The crowd fell silent at his words before McNair suddenly shouted "Traitor!" He lunged forward at Draco but the Slytherin Prince had his wand ready and killed him without hesitation.

"You have some nerve boy!" the Death Eater standing next to him snarled, revealing his own face.

It was Zabini Senior, one of Voldemort's most faithful servants. "Do you think you can defeat us all?"

Draco smirked back at him. "No, I'm here because I have a proposition to make."

"And who says we'll listen to you?" he snapped back angrily, brandishing his wand.

"Because no one else can help you now. Dumbledore and his order will soon track down every single person in this room and send you all to Azkaban. No one can help you now but me."

Several Death Eaters grunted at his words and Draco snapped his head in their direction. "Do you think you are strong enough to fight them?" he asked them sarcastically. "Look around, less than half of us have turned up tonight and I doubt those captured have a chance of escaping Azkaban with or without Dementors guarding it. Now is not the time for revenge, it is the time for change!"

Murmurs spread across the room like fire at his words. "It is time to realise that Voldemort was wrong," Draco continued loudly, looking around at each and every Death Eater present. "When he recruited us, he promised to restore the glory and power us Purebloods once had over the wizard world. He promised us that one day we would rule as the lords we once were. But he lied; he fooled us! Look at what we have done instead these past years! We were led into the foolish quest of killing Dumbledore and his golden boy. Did we obtain more power in the wizarding world? No. The wizarding community respects us even less. Voldemort made us Purebloods grovel at his feet, fear him, kill, rape and torture for his own sick pleasure, turning us into beasts instead of the respectable lords we used to be."

Many Death Eaters nodded in approval whilst the others seemed unconvinced.

"He came back once, he'll ressurect again!" a tall man exclaimed, revealing his face as he stepped forward. "I will not betray him."

"Trust me Nott, Potter made sure he was dead," Draco slyly corrected him. "Believe me, Voldemort isn't coming back, he is no longer 'our lord' and he never deserved to be as his father was a Muggle."

Several gasps were heard amongst the crowd whilst Nott shook his head in disbelief.

"The Serpent girl was right," Zabini murmured quietly to himself.

"Yes, Voldemort wasn't worthy of our cause, he never meant to help us in any way and instead we became his slaves and he used us for his revenge against Dumbledore. But now that we are free of him, we can finally achieve what we have believed in all these years. We can beat our enemies at their own game and restore the power and glory that has always belonged to us."

Draco could feel his heart pound fiercely against his chest as he awaited for their approval.

"What's your plan, Malfoy?" Zabini finally spoke up.

"It's very simple. We are all Purebloods and as such we own most of the wizarding world's properties and businesses. Between us, we own more than three quarters of the wizarding world and as such we can become supreme rulers."

Draco looked around as he started to unfold his plan to his fellow Purebloods. All eyes were fixed on him in approval or suspicion but nevertheless they all agreed with his motives and aim.

"Don't you see? Voldemort was leading us into a desperate war against Dumbledore when we always had the means to prove our superiority and restore our power. We make the law in this country through our possessions, we can play by the Ministry's rules and yet still be superior. We already have power over Half-bloods and Mudbloods. We are their employers, we own their land, we manufacture their products – they are completely dependent upon us and we can do whatever we please with them. Once we exploit our power, we will quickly become strong again and then revenge on Dumbledore will be a piece of cake."

At last, the large majority of the Death Eaters had pulled down their hoods and were ready to follow Draco's destiny. Zabini stood speechless like many others. Draco's passionate speech made them all wonder why it had never occurred to them before the amount of power that they already held in their hands. Why hadn't they made use of it before? How come Voldemort had never mentioned it to them?

"We need a leader," Nott stated the obvious, narrowing his eyes at Draco. "Someone who knows what they're doing."

Before Draco could answer, Blaise suddenly appeared from the mass of black-cloaked figures.

"Draco is a natural leader and Malfoy Enterprises is one of the largest companies in the wizarding world," he said loudly, siding by his friend. This was finally it. The remaining Death Eaters either followed Draco or disposed of him but the Slytherin was confident, remembering what the prophecy had foretold. The crowd talked animatedly amongst themselves and Nott looked back and forth between Draco and Zabini Senior, waiting for his final decision.

Zabini shook his head.

"And what makes you think that Dumbledore won't simply kill us like he did with the Dark Lord before we get a chance for revenge? His followers don't obey the rules like the Ministry, they'll take every chance they'll get to destroy us. We just aren't strong enough to play nicely!"

Draco listened carefully as he spoke. He had anticipated this moment since the beginning and now he was ready to reveal the final part of his plan, his secret weapon.

"You give me your allegiance and I swear Dumbledore will no longer be a threat to us."

Nott looked back at him wide-eyed, whilst Blaise smirked knowingly.

"How?" Zabini senior asked annoyed at the boy's arrogance.

"Simple," Draco replied, assuring his future as their new leader. "Abigail Serpent."

After brief consideration of his words, a smile crept on Zabini's lips.

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A couple of hours later, Draco was sitting in his room back at Malfoy Manor. He had gone home to explain the situation to his mother and to start planning things ahead in his mind. At the same time, he could feel his body giving up from exhaustion and lay down on his bed for a moment, realising what he had accomplished.

He had finally achieved the one thing he had fought for since his initiation. And yet a sense of failure overwhelmed him.

He had seized the opportunity to have everything he had ever wanted and still he felt as though he had just given up a part of himself. What was wrong with him? Had he missed something out?

Maybe it was the lack of sleep and so taking his cloak and shoes off, Draco finally closed his eyes and fell into a well-deserved slumber, haunted by a pair of brown eyes.

A couple of hours later, he awoke. He hadn't slept well and he had a bad feeling crawling around the pit of stomach. Something was going to happen tonight, Draco could feel it and it unnerved him. Maybe it was his dream. He couldn't remember it exactly but it had involved Hermione and he didn't take it as a good sign.

Realising he had some unfinished business at Hogwarts, Draco decided to return to the school while he still could and decided to take a quick shower before he left.

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* * *

The sun was nowhere to be seen as Draco entered through the castle's large doors. Instead menacing dark clouds covered every inch of blue sky and soon rain started to fall down heavily as Draco walked in, increasing the feeling in his stomach that something was wrong.

He walked down the entrance hall and quietly passed the Great Hall which had its doors closed. Loud noises could be heard behind them and Draco realised that it was a celebration. Obviously Voldemort's death had spread like fire among the wizarding world and Draco could picture students, teachers and Ministry officials inside, eating, drinking and partying away thinking all danger had disappeared with the death of the Dark Lord.

He felt disgusted as he imagined Potter in the middle of it all receiving numerous congratulations and pats on the back from his despicable Gryffindor friends.

If they only knew…

Draco walked right past the Great Hall and took a set of stairs leading to the dungeons. It was time he paid a little visit to his Head of House, Snape, who he knew had attended the Death Eater's meeting earlier on and had certainly heard all about their future plans.

Now was the time for Snape to decide where his loyalties lied. He entered the dark office without knocking and suddenly feared that the Potions master might be in the Great Hall as well, celebrating along with the Headmaster. Fortunately Snape was never one for parties and large crowds and Draco eventually noticed him standing by his potions cabinet, muttering to himself.

"Draco," he greeted, noticing his presence.

He didn't seem the least scared or surprised but kept the same impassive face for which Draco had always admired and respected him. Even now, as Snape's life depended on the young Slytherin, the Death Eaters' new leader, the Potions master remained calm and his expression unreadable.

"We need to talk," Draco let out, closing the door behind him. He stepped forward and looked around the damp and desolate office as he remembered what had brought him to such a place.

"I suppose you were present at the meeting and already know why I am here," he spoke, deadly serious, facing his former Head of House.

"Yes," he replied bluntly, studying his former student. "I see you finally chose your own path, Draco and in truth, I am proud of you."

Draco couldn't disguise his surprise and nodded in response.

"So what now, Snape?" he said, already guessing his professor's actions.

"I'm afraid I cannot join you, Draco," Snape answered him truthfully, frowning deeply. "Dumbledore knows me too much and I owe him my life. Still, I nearly deserted him the day I found out about your visit to his office at the end of last year. But no, I can neither join you nor stay with the Order. I am no longer at Dumbledore's service except as a member of his staff at Hogwarts. I must remain here as I am no longer safe in the wizarding world since I have betrayed the Death Eaters."

"Then it is settled. I can count on you to keep quiet about my affairs and I will leave you alone," Draco concluded, shaking hands with the greasy-haired man that had been more of a father figure to him than Lucius.

"You can always count on my discretion and support, Draco."

The new leader nodded in gratitude and then turned to leave but as his hand reached for the door handle, he stopped.

"Oh and Snape," Draco began, still facing the door. "Take care of her for me."

And with a final swift movement, he was out.

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Draco walked cautiously along the corridors to his next destination – the hospital wing. Judging by Abigail's injuries she was surely lying in one of the beds and he needed to find her before anyone saw him.

Reaching the infirmary doors, he listened out for voices inside but heard none. He entered silently and waited a few seconds for his eyes to accommodate to the darkness of the large room. He could hear the heavy rain pound against the windows and the distant rumble of thunder.

And then he saw him – Potter.

He was sitting on a chair beside an infirmary bed, staring out in front of him, a sad expression on his face. His hand was unconsciously stroking another pale small one. _So he isn't partying after all_!

Suddenly his respect for his messy black-haired enemy increased. The Boy Who Lived had preferred to remain alone with Abigail, away from the rest of the world that was currently celebrating his greatest achievement.

Sighing deeply, Potter finally stood up and noticed the Slytherin. Draco instantly held on tightly to his wand inside his robes, ready for anything. Potter quickly stepped across the room, approaching Draco and stopped short a few feet away.

"Malfoy, where were you?" he whispered urgently at him. "Everyone was surprised that you left so abruptly."

The black surrounding his eyes and his worn out face told Draco that he hadn't gotten any sleep since the previous night. He then realised that Potter was convinced that the Slytherin Prince was now on his side. He had helped to defeat Voldemort after all.

"I had to go home and see my mother," Draco shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, everyone's in the Great Hall. Did you come to see Abigail?"

"Yes," Draco answered, realising he was having his first civil conversation with Harry Potter. "How is she?"

Harry flinched at his question. "She lost a lot of blood. Pomfrey did everything she could to stabilise her and now she's unconscious. We don't know when she'll wake up."

_Oh she'll wake up!_ Draco thought slyly.

"I'll wait outside if you want," Harry finally said, leaving the infirmary. Draco was surprised to get rid of Potter so easily and looking back at Abigail's bed, he stepped towards it. A few others students were asleep further away but otherwise most of the infirmary beds were empty. Pomfrey had probably let the others attend the feast. Draco looked down at Abigail's incredibly pale face. She seemed on the brink of death. All sorts of wizard devices stood around her, stabilising her condition. Her shoulder was heavily bandaged and the various other cuts among her face and neck had dried up.

He contemplated her for a while, taking in her dark raven hair spread across the white pillow and her serene pale face which he had previously seen contorted in fear and pain. He couldn't bring himself to wake her up and cause her more suffering after everything she had already been through but he had to warn her.

Pointing his wand at her chest, he murmured the spell distinctly. "_Enervate!_"

She awoke abruptly, gasping as she inhaled a huge gulp of air. Her eyes widened as the pain hit her back in full and she scowled furiously. After a few moments, she finally noticed Draco beside her.

"Where am I? What happened?" she mumbled, looking up into his stormy grey eyes, confused.

"In the hospital wing," he informed her, staring back down, "apparently you're not in good shape."

She cringed in response and tried to sit herself up but failed. "Oh don't bother moving. You'll soon be asleep again as soon as I'm done talking with you," Draco told her without the slightest hint of concern for her state. "I've come to warn you."

"What are you talking about?" she breathed out, searching his eyes for an answer.

"I've come to warn you that since you helped defeat Voldemort, you are once more indebted to us Death Eaters according to your family's law."

Abigail frowned as he spoke and he took great pleasure in watching her eyes narrow in confusion. "But we defeated Voldemort. They no longer have a leader, there is no war," she answered closing her eyes as she tried to fight her pain.

"The war is still on and as for the Death Eaters, they already found a new leader," Draco explained, smirking down at her. "Me."

He watched as realisation dawned upon her tired and beaten face and silence fell amongst them.

"Merlin!" she eventually exclaimed loudly. "Malfoy, what the hell have you done? Why do you continue to side with them?"

"That's none of your concern," Draco replied icily, ready to leave. "I only came to say that I'll be contacting you as soon as you've recovered."

He turned his back to her but she suddenly grabbed his cloak.

"Draco, don't tell me you're giving everything up for a stupid prophecy!" she cried out in disbelief.

"Goodbye, Abigail," he answered and walked away.

"Don't do it!" He heard her call after him desperately, as loud as she could. "It's not worth it! It's not worth a life of solitude, please Draco come back!"

"I'll be seeing you soon," he stated before leaving the infirmary.

"What about Hermione?" He heard her shout as he closed the door behind him. Potter, sitting further down the corridor, suddenly stood up from his seat, hearing Abigail's distress. Draco held his angry stare before walking away in the opposite direction. Now all he needed to do was to return to the Forbidden Forest and disapparate before anyone else saw him. Now wasn't the time to be caught and interrogated. He had his business to take care of as soon as possible – he had his future to plan.

It could have been easy for him to escape the inevitable encounter if it hadn't been for Abigail. But he had awakened the wounded girl and although she felt her body weaken with every second and gradually slip back into unconsciousness she did the only possible thing she could to stop Draco.

With a last effort, she focused her thoughts and called out to the only person who could talk some sense into him - Hermione.

"_Hermione! – Draco – forbidden forest – stop him!_"

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* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW! I am on more than 100 people's author alert list so if you haven't reviewed my fic yet, please do so as the next chapter is the last one. I would love to know your opinion. Good, bad, WHATEVER YOU THINK, now's your chance to tell me!**

**I will answer every single review! Thanks Hathor xxx **


	38. Rainstorm

**A/N: Hey guys, I am so sorry, I apologise for the lateness of this chapter. I tried to get access to internet all weekend and when I finally did, fanfiction wasn't working! Once again terribly sorry and here is the last chapter! The epilogue will be out in a couple of days.**

**You have no idea how excited and nervous I am! This chapter hasn't been beta-read, nobody else has seen it and I have no idea how you guys are going to react… but oh well, the finalscene was in my head from the start and I've been working on it for a long time!**

**Shout outs: **

**JTfanaddict: Hey, well as there's a sequel I couldn't really kill anyone off. Draco is power hungry and like every young adult he has dreams and wants to fulfil them, especially if it makes him all big and powerful! Lol, what will Hermione think? Thanx for the review!**

**MissDtizy: Yeah, I'm glad you like the dark twist. Draco's plan isn't very definite yet but basically they (Death Eaters) are all gonna get super powerful and kinda rule the wizarding world and then get revenge on Dumbledore. Sorry if it isn't very clear. About Voldie's dad being a Muggle, they didn't seem to know in the fifth book so I guessed it would be the same for the fic. Enjoy the last chappie!**

**Obbsesive: I always thought Draco was kinda like Darth Vader, lol! No seriously I agree, the first chapters aren't as dark and the writing is quite bad sometimes but I'll revise them soon. Thanks for pointing it out.**

**Malfoy'sAngel: Hehe, did you think I would let Draco just up and leave without a final scene with Hermione? That scene has been in my mind for ages, probably the first one I thought of, so hope you enjoy!**

**Twinklerbell23: Am I that good? Well I guess you'll find out once you read this chapter, but don't forget whatever happens there is a sequel and it will be up as soon as possible. Thanks for reviewing!**

**UpTheIrons: Your penname is really original, I like it. Thanks for reviewing, I'm always touched when people get emotional over my story, its my reward I guess. Hope you enjoy the final chapter.**

**Tomfeltonlover1400: Tom Felton is too young for me, lol but I guess he is cute! Yes Draco is going evil and in this chapter it's the final confrontation with Hermione. Yes it will happen and you'll have to read on to find out if she stops him or not. Thanks for the review!**

**DracosMine89: Hello Farha, thanks for reviewing. Yes I know there is so much to be said and that's why there's a sequel. Draco is at a point where power is important for him, he's constructing his future and wants to make it out on his own now that his father is dead. I guess Hermione doesn't fit the picture but there's still this chapter. Enjoy!**

**Velvetyblack: You asked a really good question! About Abigail well basically she would have lost her powers casue she helped out in the war but as Draco is maintaining the dark side, she is in his debt and must pay or she'll lose her powers anyway. Abigail at this point probably prefers to lose her powers but maybe she'll change her mind. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Alexistheman: Thank you for the reviews! I'm impressed you managed to read everything so fast! I'm glad you fell on my story, fanfics are brilliant when waiting for the next HP book. Will Hermione change Draco? Read on to find out! **

**KittKatShauna: Hey, I can't believe you print fanfics off. I use to do that because I didn't have time to read them on the net but it cost me so much money! I'm so glad you like my fic, hopefully you'll continue and read the sequel. Enjoy!**

**Roguish muse: Hehe, I have you so worried. There will be a final confrontation but you'll have to read on to find out what happens in the end. Thank you for reviewing faithfully at each chapter!**

**May: Hey, first of all thanks for reviewing so faithfully, I always enjoy your reviews. I'm glad you understand where they're both coming from and why they inevitably fall apart. Read on to see what happens but remember, there's a sequel and anything can happen yet!**

**Hpcrzyfb: Hi! Well its finally the last chapter and you're right Draco has turned his back to everyone who trusted him. Unfortunately Hermione loves him so will she be able to stop him, well read on to find out and remember there's asequel. Thank you for reviewing!**

**And a big thank you to: jonadark, Pepperea, Zippyrox, Da manta ray, .Drama-Queen, Love4AllSeasons, Sam, xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo, spicecate38, poorpadfoot, Eriador, BrownEyedQT715, sApPhire rAiin, Juicy-Fuit for Drako, Baboo, Absh, **

**Now all I can say is I'm sorry to all you believers out there, but it just had to be. **

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Chapter 38

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"It's all over!" Dumbledore announced to Hermione and Harry in the infirmary. "Voldemort is officially dead and a celebration is planned in the Great Hall tonight."

But they barely listened to him. Hermione's cuts and bruises had been healed earlier on and her now mended arm rested in a sling. She sat next to the bed Abigail was laying on watching over her. Harry sat on the opposite side.

Madame Pomfrey had finally arrived in time and brought Abigail back to Hogwarts' hospital wing by portkey. Hermione and Harry had travelled back with Mad-Eye Moody and had watched helplessly as the school nurse along with McGonagall, Snape and several Healers from St Mungos tried to stop Abigail's multiple bleedings and stabilise her condition. Now, all sorts of tubes connected Abigail to magical devices standing around her bed. Empty potion vials littered the nearby table, blood covered the white sheets and floor beneath and yet after a three hour effort, Abigail was still in a coma.

Dumbledore had eventually admitted that the portkey had led them to the South of France, where the Serpent family had been forced to exile a few years ago. However, he didn't explain what the Serpent books were or why they were so important and Hermione preferred not to ask. Although watching Abigail was a terrible sight, Hermione felt even worse inside.

She was so anxious.

Abigail looked near death, Ron had gone back to the Burrow to mourn his brother's death with the rest of his family and no one had heard or seen Draco since they had left Serpent Manor.

No, it wasn't all over as Dumbledore had said. Now they had to cope with the pain that came with war and had inevitably scarred their hearts and souls forever.

"I understand if you prefer not to attend tonight's celebrations," Dumbledore continued noticing his students' fatigue and sadness. "However, if you do decide to come along, I must warn you the press has also been invited and of course they will want you to answer their questions."

Hermione looked up at Harry, waiting for his decision but he continued to stare at Abigail's face instead. Turning around to face her headmaster, Hermione gave him a small smile and told him she would probably attend the feast later on. Nodding his head, Dumbledore left the infirmary and Pomfrey came back in, walking hurriedly from bed to bed as she tended to the other wounded students.

The school had been severely attacked by half of Voldemort's army but with courage, a strong defence and the help of the Order of the Phoenix, they quickly defeated their enemies although the casualties had been numerous. A dozen of students had been killed and many others injured. Healers from St Mungo's had arrived on Pomfrey's request to help heal the students and teachers. The hospital wing was considerably less crowded now and only the serious cases remained.

Feeling her eyes gradually start to close, Hermione slowly got up from her chair and with a Healer's help, she climbed onto a bed and tried to fall asleep. She refused a potion to help her sleep as she wanted to be up in a few hours time for the feast. She also secretly wanted to remain awake in case someone had news of Draco's whereabouts.

But she still needed sleep. It was the only way she could get away from all the pain. The pain that stung her heart as she heard Dumbledore list the deaths of so many of her friends.

Tonks had died some time after sunrise from her internal injuries and a Death Eater had killed George Weasley as he was busy watching over the injured members of the Order. Hermione was relieved to see Ginny safe and sound a few moments before she heard about her brother's death and left hurriedly for the Burrow. Hermione had then spent the rest of the day in the hospital wing, watching family and friends hurry inside to find their beloved ones either injured or dead. Hermione had then remembered her own parents and sent them an owl as soon as she could to explain the situation and to reassure them that she was fine.

But she wasn't. It was all too hard for her and she didn't want to face reality anymore.

When her mind finally seemed to settle down, Hermione fell asleep, wishing Draco was beside her, holding her in his arms and telling her everything would be alright.

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In her dream, Hermione suddenly found herself back in Potions class. She watched her classmates file out of the classroom and suddenly heard Snape call out her name.

She looked up at his desk and there, standing besides it, was Draco.

He was waiting next to the desk, scowling at her. His blond hair was gelled back tightly into place and his stormy grey eyes glared menacingly at her as he watched her stand up and move closer to him. Hermione quickly realised that he was wearing his Prefects badge instead of his Head Boy one. What was going on?

She looked expectantly at Snape, but before he could answer her, Draco opened his mouth.

"You must be joking? She's going to be tutoring me?" he commented mockingly, looking at Hermione as if she were dirt under his shoe. "I'd rather not!"

And then she remembered.

This was the day when it had all started, back in her sixth year, when she had tutored Draco every weekend. She had hated it to start with, but then they had gotten to know each other better and eventually, they had become more than friends. That year, although Hermione hadn't realised it, she had fallen for him.

She watched amused as Draco continued to glare at her before turning to Snape.

"Professor, I refuse! I don't care what you do but _she_ is not tutoring me!" he continued to complain, looking extremely annoyed.

"What can I say, Malfoy?" Hermione remarked loudly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your grades simply aren't as good as mine and therefore you need my help."

Malfoy's glare was becoming more and more murderous and Hermione had to stifle a laugh.

"Miss Granger is your new tutor, Headmaster's orders, end of story!" Snape snapped at him before storming out of the classroom, muttering under his breath.

Draco was about to say something, when Hermione butt in.

"Listen Malfoy, stop being so arsy about this and maybe we can get it over with before Christmas," she proposed, tired of hearing his whining.

She then turned away to gather her belongings still sitting on her desk.

"Fine!" she heard him snarl, picking up his book bag. "But for the record, I'm still a Malfoy and you're still a Mudblood."

Hermione's head snapped up at his words, but abruptly the scene changed and she found herself in the Heads' dorms, in the common room. She looked around and suddenly her heart skipped a beat.

There, looking exactly the same as the last time she had seen him in Southern France, stood Draco - her Draco. His black clothes were torn in places and he looked worn out from the battle. His messy hair fell into his face, casting shadows upon his pale skin tinted with blood. He was casually leaning against the wall opposite her with his hands in his pockets.

He seemed to be waiting for her.

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes and stood rooted to the ground. He smiled at her and his soft grey eyes gazed into her own. Pushing himself off the wall, he stepped up towards her.

"Draco, is it really you?" she whispered to him in disbelief, keeping her eyes locked on his.

He kissed her softly on the lips in response and immediately Hermione threw her arms tightly around him. She rested her head on his chest and felt his arms wrap around her waist. Closing her eyes shut, she let herself be overwhelmed by his scent. She felt safe - she felt loved and she never ever wanted this moment to end.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" she asked sadly, looking up into his silver eyes. "You're not real."

He nodded, looking back at her, his smile fading as tears started to form in her eyes.

"I'm so worried, Draco," she confessed to him, holding him tighter. "I don't know where you are or what to do - you left so suddenly. Why didn't you tell me? What are you hiding from me? I don't know where you are and it scares me."

He kissed her again as if to reassure her and suddenly pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he breathed out, stepping away. "You know my feelings for you have always been true."

A familiar feeling swept over Hermione, as she remembered having heard those words before. However, she wanted to move forward and hold Draco back but she couldn't. She couldn't move or say anything; all she could do was watch him leave.

"Wake up."

And with that, Hermione woke up with a start on the hospital bed. She quickly sat up looking among the other beds, hoping to find him there but he was nowhere to be seen.

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"There she is! There she is!"

Hermione had barely opened the Great Hall doors that she was blinded with multiple camera flashes and drowned in a human sea of reporters and photographers.

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger? How are you feeling? Any comments about last night? Any news about Harry? Is it true Abigail Serpent help defeat You-Know-Who? What are your plans now that You-Know-Who is dead? How does it feel to have defeated You-Know-Who?"

And on and on it went until Hermione caught a glimpse of Remus Lupin coming to save her.

"Alright, that's quite enough!" he announced, pulling her to safety by his side. "Miss Granger will answer your questions later. Now if you'll excuse us."

"Are they always like that?" she asked him, suddenly regretting to have come to the feast. Although her arm was in a sling, few people noticed and knocked her elbow a couple of times, making her wince.

"Unfortunately, yes," he answered dismally. "You guys have a whole new life of fame awaiting you now."

He pulled her away from the angry press and Hermione finally noticed the multicoloured decorations that filled the hall. The house tables had been moved to the side and were covered in all sorts of dishes and drinks whilst the rest of the hall was filled with students, teachers, Ministry officials and members of the Order all celebrating their victory over the dark side.

"Ah Miss Granger!" Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic greeted her, holding a full glass of wine in his hand. "Congratulations! I am sure you must be ecstatic to have defeated the darkest wizard of all times! You certainly deserve an award! What did you think of the press? Have they named you the 'Cleverest Witch of Hogwarts' yet?"

He then laughed merrily along with several other Ministry officials that Hermione had never seen before. _Harry would hate this_, she thought to herself as she forced a smile upon her face. She exchanged a few polite words with Fudge before leaving to find Dumbledore, standing alongside McGonagall talking to various other teachers.

She decided not to join them in the end, afraid to interrupt although she had badly wanted to ask him several questions. She decided to stick with Remus instead but found him sitting in a corner by himself with a sad expression on his face. He had taken Tonks' death particularly hard and Hermione preferred to let him be for the moment. After looking around for any familiar faces, she found herself to be quite lonely but soon spotted Dean and Lavender sitting in a corner, eating away.

She gleefully filled up her own plate with food which proved to be hard with one hand but she finally managed and joined her friends in their conversation. They ended up talking about the war and Hermione listened to them attentively as they described what had happened at Hogwarts. She then filled them in, explaining what had happened at Voldemort's hideout and they were both extremely surprised and yet proud when she told them how Voldemort was finally defeated.

Apparently nobody knew the details yet as none of the defeaters had told anyone.

A few minutes later, Hermione was a bundle of nerves. She couldn't stop thinking about Draco and she racked her brains to find out where he could have possibly gone. Finally, she decided to find Dumbledore again among the crowd of people to ask him if he had any news and soon spotted him talking to Fudge. She tried to make her way through the crowd but quickly gave up and decided to lean against the nearest wall to cool off instead. The room was hot and stuffy from the numerous people inside and Hermione felt herself get dizzy.

She decided it was best to leave the feast and return to the infirmary to check up on Harry and Abigail when suddenly an intolerable sting shot through her skull, making her grab her head in pain.

A voice burst through her mind, screaming.

_Hermione! – Draco – forbidden forest – stop him!_

The pain made her want to scream but Hermione quickly recovered as she recognised Abigail's voice in her mind and then realised what she had said. Her breath was suddenly caught in her throat.

Without a second thought, Hermione ran through the hall, doing her best to dodge the press and make her way through the thick crowd. She grabbed her cloak from her chair on the way and once she was out of the Great Hall, she ran as fast as she could down the entrance hall. Opening the heavy front doors, Hermione gasped as she noticed the rain pounding down from the sky in bucket loads and heard the rumbling of thunder above her.

But she didn't hesitate. Throwing her sling aside, she wrapped herself up in her cloak and ran down the pathway leading to Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. The rain whipped across her face and soaked her clothes through her cloak but she didn't care. She had to find him, she had to stop him from whatever it was he doing but most importantly she had to see him.

Why had he left her? Where had he been? All these questions zoomed through her mind as she continued to run as fast as her tired legs could carry her through the dark forest to the only place she knew he would be – the clearing. It was the only possible apparation point at Hogwarts and she knew that he was surely headed there.

Her heart pounded against her chest as her eyes searched for him among the trees and bushes, and suddenly, as she approached the clearing, her eyes spotted a tall dark figure at the edge of the clearing.

"Draco!" she shouted, but the noise of the rain falling down and the menacing rumbling in the sky prevented him from hearing her.

"DRACO!" she shouted louder this time as she reached the clearing bathed in moonlight.

He was standing in the middle and when he heard her cry out his name, he whipped around, the hood of his cloak falling down, revealing white-blond hair, which gleamed in the moonlight. His face seemed to be carved out of marble, as the raindrops slid down his temples. He looked surprised to see her and stood still as she faced him, bewildered.

"Where were you? Why did you disappear?" she asked him over the sound of the heavy rain, searching the truth in his dark eyes.

She stepped forward to meet him, but his words caused her to halt.

"Hermione, you shouldn't be out here. Go back inside!" he shouted at her, before turning around to leave.

"Draco, what's happening?" she questioned him, wondering why he hadn't already taken her in his arms. What was wrong with him? Why was he being so distant? She saw his shoulders heave as he sighed deeply. She stepped cautiously closer to him, losing balance as her shoes slipped against the muddy ground. He turned back to face her and for the first time Hermione noticed sorrow and darkness in his silver eyes.

"I'm leaving, Hermione," he informed her, looking down at her. "I chose to follow my destiny and that means I have to leave."

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm their new leader," he admitted suddenly.

She felt her heart drop to her knees, her head aching wildly. _What had he just said? Surely, it couldn't be!_

"The Death Eaters. They accepted me as their new leader. It's my destiny," he added, seeing her reaction. "It's the path I've chosen."

He tried to reach out for her as she stepped back, but she hit his hand away in horror.

"No, you're lying!" she cried out, as realisation sunk through her against her will. "Why - why would you do that? It doesn't make sense! I can't believe it!"

Anger raged inside of her and as he moved closer to her, she pushed him away hard. "I won't believe it! You defeated Voldemort! You're not one of them anymore!"

Draco grabbed her by the shoulders hard. "Voldemort was an imposter!" he roared, trying to make her understand. "He killed as many Mudbloods as Purebloods. He didn't understand the reality of the world around him. He only believed in torture and death. I can do better than that."

As he continued to shout, Hermione wasn't listening, focusing only on the fact that he had used the word 'Mudblood' again. It hit her more than the rainfall beating down upon her body, drenching her clothes. His dark silver eyes pierced through her own terrified ones as he tried to make her realise his truth.

"I've waited for an opportunity like this all my life."

His words sliced through her heart like a knife and she felt the hot tears slide down her cheeks and mixing with the raindrops.

"But what about us?" she whispered to him, no longer fighting against his grip.

He laughed at her in exasperation and it killed her inside.

"There never was an '_us_', Hermione!" he yelled over the sound of the deafening rain, letting her go. "Do you think the wizarding world would ever accept us? Do you think they would ever let us in peace? You wouldn't even tell your best friends about us!"

"I don't care if Harry and Ron never speak to me again!" she screamed at him. "I love you and I know that you love me too."

Silence followed her words. His hesitation made her want to choke.

"Draco?" she asked him in despair, waiting for his answer.

He stepped quickly towards her and kissed her deeply, pulling her against him. Relief flooded her body.

"I love you, Hermione," he breathed out as he pulled away, "but I made a choice. I am what you don't want to say, but I've never had a doubt about."

"No!" she cried out desperately, clinging on to his robes, making him look at her. "You're not evil, Draco! I've seen you undisguised, you opened up your heart for me and it's good. Stop fighting your soul, it's good!"

She felt him stiffen at her words, but she held on to him nonetheless. "There was a time when I once believed that," he told her, looking away as he remembered the event. "Last year, after the massacre, I decided I hated what I would eventually become and secretly went to see Dumbledore."

Hermione's eyes widened at his revelation. She had never known, Dumbledore had never told her before. Why was he telling her this now?

"I told him that I was to become a Death Eater during the summer and that I wanted to change before it was too late." His eyes darkened as he spoke and suddenly his tone became harsh. "I sunk low enough to ask for his help and do you know what he did?"

Hermione shook her head, tears falling down her face, as she feared the worst.

"He laughed right back in my face!" Draco answered for her angrily. "He told me a Malfoy was always a Malfoy no matter what! And I guess, in the end, he did help me. He helped me understand that I had to become my own master and that I didn't need anyone else. He helped me understand who I truly am!"

"It's not true! You know it's not true!" she yelled to him as she watched the rain fall through his silver hair and down his determined face. "You love me, you can change, I proved that!"

He tried to move away as she spoke, but she clutched his arm angrily and forced him to face her.

"You may have turned me inside out, hurt me more than anyone else in my life but I always gave you everything I had inside!" she screamed, trying to make him understand what her soul was dictating her. "I gave you my heart!"

All of a sudden, his eyes flashed angrily back at her and Draco closed the gap between them, grabbing Hermione roughly by the arms.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" he spat out, holding her face. "Do you think this is easy when I know you're the best thing that's ever happened to me? I have to do this! I have to know what I'm worth! Do you understand that? I choose power, Hermione!

His fierce eyes stared into hers, begging her to understand his decision. "For Merlin's sake, I choose power over love! That's who I truly am!"

Hermione wouldn't listen to him, she couldn't. It hurt too much to hear his reasons. She fought furiously against him and abruptly fell backwards into the giant puddle of mud behind her. A bright flash of lightening suddenly ripped through the sky and she started shivering as she realised that she was soaked to the bone.

"I was your worst enemy and Muggle-born," she whispered, her desolate chocolate eyes looking at him. "And yet you loved me, you love me, you fought for me! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"You're too late," he told her quietly. They both knew it, but Hermione wouldn't give up so easily. She stood up on her feet again and pressed the palm of her hand on his chest, looking up at his face with shimmering, imploring eyes.

"I felt your heart beat – for me!"

"Hermione –"

"Draco, please!" she croaked, not able to hold back her tears anymore. "Don't do this! I'm begging you, stay with me!"

She put her hand on his cold cheek and stared desperately into his soft grey eyes, as the other one held desperately onto the front of his robes. Rain continued to beat down on them.

"Don't you understand - I can't go on without you."

Draco gazed back one last time into her pleading red eyes. For the very last time, his dark silver eyes betrayed his undying love for the Gryffindor girl held in his arms and he pulled her closer to him. As lightning streaked the sky above them, his soft lips crashed on hers and he kissed her deeply. Hermione felt her body melt against his and her mind suddenly went wild, remembering the past months she had spent with the Slytherin Prince.

Her one and only true love.

_"What could a Gryffindor possibly want from a Slytherin?"_

_"Don't you want this as much as I do?"_

_"I'll always be there for you, Hermione."_

_"You won't lose me."_

_"I love you."_

Hermione felt him pull away and her heart stopped.

"I'm sorry."

And before she could stop him, he disapparated with a loud pop.

"DRACOOO!"

But it was too late. He was gone. He had left her. He had disapparated before her eyes, out of her embrace and out of her life.

And what did he leave behind?

Hermione Granger, the cleverest witch of Hogwarts, defeater of Lord Voldemort, collapsing to the ground under a heavy rainstorm, gasping for air as she cried out his name, pain in her chest as Draco Malfoy had broken her heart.

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**This isn't exactly the end yet, I'm not that mean. The epilogue will be up in a couple of days and there is definitely a sequel to this story !**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	39. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me. I own nothing except the characters you don't recognise, basically Abigail Serpent. I don't own the song either!**

**Author's Notes: Please don't hate me! I'm sorry if I made people mad and cry but I did give out warning. Anyway the sequel is finally up and its called Here Without You! So check it out!**

**Now here is the epilogue, it's not very long but it's the conclusion to the Dragon, the Lion and the Serpent (it should have been Lioness really, didn't think of that till now!). I added the song Everybody Hurts, I know its by REM but I was listening to the Corrs version.**

**The epilogue is short, from a general point of view and it is also a link for the sequel. Not as emotional as previous chapters but not rushed either.**

**Check out the shout outs at the end, I've given hints and clues about the sequel for those who are interested. Thank you for all the feedback, I was happily surprised.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 39

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No one had noticed Hermione's disappearance from the feast therefore everyone was surprised when Hagrid brought back the unconscious, soaked to the bone Gryffindor girl in his arms. She was immediately taken to the infirmary on Dumbledore's orders and Hagrid informed him and Madame Pomfrey that after hearing distant shouting in the Forbidden Forest, he had made his way to the clearing and found Hermione lying on the ground.

Hermione stayed unconscious for a couple of days in the hospital wing alongside Abigail. Harry watched over both of them night and day. Nobody knew what Hermione had been through and when she finally woke up, she didn't give any answer. She had truly thought it had all been a dream and when she realised it wasn't, tears fell down her cheeks despite her will. She sat in her bed for hours, remembering the terrible night, trying to make sense of it. But the truth continuously stabbed her through the heart: he had left her and he was never coming back.

And then the memories suddenly shot through her mind and images of Draco haunted her day and night. She would think about him all the time, she would think about the times they had spent together, think about his touch, his scent, his silver eyes and it killed her. She barely spoke, barely ate and her once soft chocolate eyes turned dull and cold. She cried when she was alone and nobody knew what was wrong, she wouldn't tell. In the space of a week, she had lost the will to live.

She couldn't go on without him, she had told him so.

The day after she woke up, the Ministry held another party to award the defeaters of Voldemort the Order of Merlin, Second class. Harry got a First class. Cornelius Fudge at the same time publicly apologised to the Serpent family for their mistake and allowed them to come back to England.

Following the feast, all Hogwarts students were given a week off before classes started again. Ron and Ginny came back during that week. They had changed; the loss of another brother had scarred them deeply for life. After keeping to themselves for a few days, they finally began talking again and having fun with Harry and their other Gryffindor friends but it was never the same. Harry, to everyone's surprise, began to appreciate his new celebrity and gave many interviews for the press. The rest of the time he spent it at Abigail's bed, talking to her, waiting for her to wake up. Abigail's aunt, Isabelle, and her Muggle husband came to visit a couple of times to check up on their niece. She explained to Dumbledore and Harry that Abigail had been disowned by her father. The rest of the family had to follow his decision. but she did not care about family rules when her niece's life was in danger. She had apparently already bent the rules when she had married a Muggle. She was glad to meet Harry and soon realised that the Defeater of Voldemort would take good care of Abigail.

Hours turned into days, days into weeks and before Hermione knew it, she was living again. As time passed, she went back into her Head Girl routine and studied even harder for her NEWTS, trying to forget the pain eating away at her. She kept away from her friends but spent as much time as she could with Abigail. She found it easy to talk about Draco to the unconscious girl when Harry wasn't around but she ended up in tears most of the time or angry with him or herself. Once she threw a vase across the room.

And then, shortly after the Ministry party, the Daily Prophet announced Draco was the new head of Malfoy Enterprises. He was shown on the front page, shaking hands with Cornelius Fudge, along with other wealthy businessmen, whose companies he had successfully bought. That morning at breakfast, Hermione saw his picture and it caused her to spill her drink. She hadn't thought she would see him so soon and it caused her more pain than she could endure.

She kept it all to herself.

Abigail finally woke up with the arrival of spring. She soon found out that she had lost all her magic and freaked out. After Harry hopelessly tried to calm her down, Madame Pomfrey soon arrived and informed her that she had temporarily exhausted her powers during the night they had defeated Voldemort and after much rest, her magic would return. Therefore she stayed another month at the hospital wing before she was released. Harry came to see her everyday and as promised, he made plans to take her on a long holiday to some exotic place.

Hermione barely visited Abigail anymore. The Slytherin kept asking questions about Draco and Hermione couldn't bring herself to talk about him anymore. Answering her would mean that Draco was truly gone and it was too hard. Instead she kept to herself and her books. Abigail eventually noticing Hermione's uneasiness, decided to drop the subject and let her be. However, Hermione continued to avoid Abigail as it broke her heart to watch her and Harry, the latest gossip in Hogwarts. They were always smiling, always kissing and it brought back yet again too many memories for Hermione.

Before Abigail was released from the hospital wing, Dumbledore came in to see her and her four Gryffindor friends, who were visiting. After a long speech stating how proud he was of them all and how he was impressed with their fighting skills, he offered them each a place within the Order. Although the Order had no longer a reason to be, Dumbledore informed them that many Death Eaters were still out somewhere hiding and preparing for revenge. They all agreed to join him except Hermione who scowled, shook her head and left the infirmary before anyone could stop her. She clearly remembered what he had done to Draco and couldn't forgive the old man for it. From that day on, she distanced herself from the old Headmaster and always spoke coldly to him.

Eventually, exams approached and for weeks Harry, Ron and Hermione studied relentlessly. They all passed admirably. Hermione got top grades and was automatically accepted at the Ministry for high official training. Her ultimate goal was to become a judge for the Ministry. Ron, following his brother's death, had sworn to become an Auror and bring all Death Eaters to justice. His grades were good enough to be accepted in the new Auror training program, headed by Alastor Moody. As for Harry, he decided to take a year out, think about what he really wanted to do and finally enjoy his life. During graduation day, he could think of nothing better to do in the future than be with Abigail.

After the graduation ceremony, all five friends sat on the Hogwarts grounds, lying in the hot sun, talking among themselves and reading the latest Daily Prophet. The head news was the mysterious disappearance of a Muggle community the previous night. Aurors hadn't found any clues on site and the Ministry expressed its concern that Death Eaters, still at large, were targeting Muggles for revenge. However, they simply couldn't prove their theory.

In the business pages, Draco's face was shown once more as he bought yet another large wizard company. He was recruiting them everyday and everyday his power over the wizarding world was increasing. No one could legally stop him.

"Hermione, what really did happen to Malfoy?" Harry suddenly blurted out, Abigail in his arms. "Did he simply just up and leave?"

Everyone turned their eyes to her and she felt obliged to give them an answer.

"Yeah," She informed them quietly, lying back down on the grass. "He simply left - for good."

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

_If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,_  
_When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on_

_Well, everybody hurts sometimes,_  
_Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes_  
_And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on_  
_Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on_  
_Everybody hurts._

_You are not alone._

_(Everybody Hurts - The Corrs)_

**********************..~**~..**

* * *

**The end. **

**I can't believe I actually went through and finished this fic but now its official! The sequel is up for you to read but before you leave, don't forget to REVIEW!**

**Thanks xx Hathor**

**Shout outs:**

**MissDitzy:** When writing chapter 38, I was listening to a lot of sad music and when I re-read all in one go - it made me cry! I couldn't believe it but I guess the ending is very sad. Draco IS a very stupid man as you say but he'll definitely be back for the sequel. I hope to hear from you once I write the sequel, thank you for your wonderful reviews!

**Malfoy'sAngel:** Hey! Thank you so much for reviewing! Your reviews are so nice and make me smile like an idiot when I read them! Lol! I'm so happy you enjoyed this fic so much! About Draco, well I'm sorry I had to make him leave but to be honest, it was in the mind since the beginning. The sequel won't be up for a while although I am working on it nearly everyday! Take care!

**Annie:** Hey, I don't know when the sequel will be up but trust me it will revolve around Draco and Hermione's romance as well as Harry and Abigail. Thank you for your reviews!

**DracosMine89:** Hehe, I was considering of ending the fic with chapter 38 but then thought against as it was just plain evil. Thank you for reviewing, I'm glad you liked the fanfic!

**xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo**: Thank you for reviewing faithfully! It was really cool! I'm glad you thought chapter 38 was something new. I guess fanfics usually have a happier ending but then again the sequel will also be about Hermione and Drano's romance. See you soon!

**JTfanaddict:** Your review nearly made me tear up! It brightened up my day so thank you so much for it and for reviewing the previous chapters! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I must admit, I'm quite proud when I read that people cried over chapter 38. It tore me apart as well when I decided that Draco had to leave. I was horribly hard to write but I was rewarded with wonderful reviews such as yours. I hope I'll hear from you soon when the sequel is up, take care!

**:** Thank you for reviewing, I'm glad you liked the fic. It is pretty sad but hopefully the sequel will be more cheerful!

**Tomfeltonlover1400: **Hehe, I believe Tom Felton is probably 4 years younger than me. My friend who worked on the third movie met him and his older brother and said they were wicked, really cool kids. I was so jealous! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, its nice to hear people praise my work, as none of my friends or family know that I write. Hope you'll enjoy the sequel!

**Twinklerbell23:** Hiya, don't worry, I'll find a way to fit your request in the sequel, lol! I'm sorry about the epilogue, maybe I didn't explain very well that is was supposed to be deadpanned and unemotional. Its basically a statement of what occurred after, like at the end of movies when they tell you through images or writing what happened to the characters. I intended to shock the readers by writing an unemotional epilogue, I guess. But do not worry, things will be back to normal with the sequel. Thank you for both your reviews!

**Juicy-Fuit for Drako: **Hey, unfortunately I won't be updating anytime soon. My new fic will be up very soon, its another Draco Hermione romance! I'm glad you enjoyed this fic as well as your friends; thank you so much for the reviews! The sequel although it isn't started yet will probably be longer than this fic!

**Spicecat38:** I don't know what the sequel will be called yet but its definitely not The Dragon, the Lion and the Serpent 2 or the Sequel, lol! Thank you so much for the reviews and as I've said before, the sequel should have more chapters than this fic.

**Pippin1177:** Hey, I'm glad you liked this fic, especially the ending! The last reviews made me smile a lot when everybody kept going "Oh my God!" and such. I think I shocked quite a few people with the ending but it was all intended. Once again, thank you so much for the reviews!

**Eriador:** I hope chapter 38 didn't make you cry too much… feels guilty… Hermione unfortunately won't become a business tycoon but she will definitely but there will definitely be some serious ass kicking! Hehe! I will warn people on my personal bio when the sequel is up, thanks for reviewing!

**Dracocrazyem:** Hiya, I was so glad when I read your reviews, you always notice the important details in the chapters and I love it. I'm glad that you were touched by Harry crying in chapter 36, it took me a long time to write that final bit. Draco certainly has two sides to him which stood out through the entire fic, I didn't want him to become mushy, sweet Draco as I was already thinking about him leaving Hermione and leading the Death Eaters. Unfortunately it was the real Dumbledore who laughed in Drano's face, the massacre had just occurred and made him angry and bitter when Draco went to see him. If you look back at chapter 33, Dumbledore after talking to Hermione expresses his regrets towards having turned his back on Draco. Hermione, however, will hate him for it…. Anyway I don't want to spoil anything and only say that I was touched by your long reviews, especially when I read that the ending made you cry! So thank you for appreciating my fic and I'll hope to hear from you soon, cya!

**LadyDevilBlessed:** Hehe, of course I couldn't end the fic on chapter 38 that would have been so mean. I hate it when you read a great fic and the author leaves it on a bad note, you feel so frustrated! Thank you for reviewing and check out the sequel, out soonish..

**May:** Hiya, thanks for reviewing! I have thought of a title for the sequel but its not definite so I won't give it out! I'm glad you enjoyed this fanfiction so much and look forward to hear from you again!

**kriCket xO:** I'm sorry you had a sucky day when you read chapter 38, I'm not surprised it didn't help with your mood, sorry! I hope you enjoyed the epilogue, thank you for reviewing!

**Aaliyah:** Hiya, I was so glad to hear from you and your friends! In the sequel Hermione and Draco will definitely cross paths again but that's all I can say… for now! I was touched that you cried over the tragic ending, at least it means that my writing isn't so bad after all, lol! I'll promise to email when the sequel is up, thank you for all the reviews!

**Hpcrzyfb:** Hey, what can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic who also likes a touch of tragedy! No seriously, thank you for your review, it made my day when I read it. When I wrote that chapter I also cried, I couldn't believe I had chosen such a tragic ending but the sequel will make it all better, right? Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing, glad you liked it!

**LadySnake:** There is a sequel, I can't just leave everybody unhappy like that! But you're right about one thing, there will be a suicide attempt in the sequel but who I can't tell yet… Thank you for reviewing and I assure you the sequel should be up soonish!

**Dracosgirl2515:** Hey! Quite a few people compared the ending to Star Wars Episode III actually so I'm going to see it this afternoon actually! I love star wars but I hadn't had time et to see the last episode. As for Draco coming back to Hermione, you'll have to check out the sequel, thanks for your reviews!

**Evilbananaz:** Thank you for the review! You're so right, the REM version is better but I only had the Corrs version at the time, which I was listening too so I decided to put their name in instead. Draco and Hermione will definitely see each other again in the sequel, I also like happy endings!

**UpTheIrons:** Oh no, another Iron Maiden fan! Lol! All my friends of fans but I've never got round to listening to their music yet. I realised just how much chapter 38 was sad when many reviewers wrote that they had cried over it (I also did, a little! I can't help adding tragedy in my fics) but hey the sequel will sort things out, hopefully! Thank you for reviewing!

**A special thank you also to: Pepperea, samiha, Dodger M, Forestrosespirte, BrownEyedQT715, Absh, AllyCatHerm19, kerry, Im a lazy heffalump, LJ924, chinesefireball88, QueenofAngels90, Miranda, princess of star, undercoverfreek, poorpadfoot, autumn rain, sApPhire rAiin, Sam, roguish muse (thank you for reviewing so faithfully!), LJ and Alex **


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